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ALEXANDER  BEGG 
C.C. 


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Alexander  Begg 


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HISTORY 


OF 


BRITISH  COLUMBIA 


FROM    ITS   EARLIEST   DISCOVERY   TO   THE 
PRESENT   TIME. 


ALEXANDER    BEGG 

C.C.,    F.R.C.I. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


TORONTO: 
WILLIAM      BRIGGS. 

MONTREAL:  C.  W.  COATES.  HALIFAX:   S.  F.  HUESTIS. 

1894. 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  the  Parliament  of  Canada,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  ninety-four,  by  ALEXANDER  BEGG,  C.C.,  Victoria,  B.C.,  at  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Ottawa. 


PREFACE. 


IT  HAS  BEEN  REMARKED  that  "a  man  may  be  ignorant  of  the  laws 
•of  his  country,  but  with  ordinary  intelligence  he  is  not  excusable,  if 
he  be  unacquainted  with  its  history."  This  remark  should  only  be 
.applied  to  those  who  have  the  means  of  becoming  well  informed,  and 
neglect  to  avail  themselves  of  opportunities  within  their  reach. 

HISTORICALLY,  British  Columbia  has,  hitherto,  had  comparatively 
an  unwritten  record.  It  is  true,  that  within  the  last  thirty  years, 
many  pamphlets  and  books  respecting  the  Province  have  been  written, 
but  they  were  principally  confined  to  climatic,  geographical  and 
•descriptive  matters ;  hence  the  present  effort  of  the  Author  to  search 
for,  gather,  and  compile,  from  such  sources  as  were  available,  as  full 
And  complete  a  record  as  possible  of  this  interesting  portion  of  the 
Dominion.  The  result  is  this  work  now  placed  before  the  public,  in 
the  hope  that  it  may  interest  and  benefit  the  reading  community. 

The  "modern  history"  relating  to  the  recent  official  visit  of  the 
-Governor-General  to  British  Columbia,  is  given  at  some  length,  as  it 
refers  to  many  provincial  topics  of  importance,  and  gives  evidence  of 
the  continued  loyal  feeling  of  the  people  of  the  Province  to  Queen 
Victoria  and  the  British  throne. 

The  lamented  death  of  the  Premier  of  Canada,  at  Windsor  Castle, 
12th  December,  1894,  is  noted.  Hon.  Mackenzie  Bowell,  Minister 
-of  Trade  and  Commerce,  favorably  known  in  British  Columbia,  re 
Australian  Trade  and  the  Pacific  Cable,  at  the  request  of  Lord 
Aberdeen,  accepted  the  Premiership. 

A  new  historical  feature,  namely,  THE  APPENDIX  MAP,  showing  the 
line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  across  the  continent,  also  the 


IV  PREFACE. 

routes  used  by  the  brigades  of  the  early,  fur-traders,  from  the  Pacific 
coast  and  New  Caledonia  to  Hudson  Bay  and  Montreal,  will  be  found 
useful  and  instructive. 

The  thanks  of  the  author  are  due  to  not  a  few  in  the  city  of 
Victoria  who  have  assisted  in  supplying  material  for  this  history  ; 
especially  the  Deputy  Provincial  Secretary  for  affording  access  to  the 
provincial  records  and  archives ;  to  the  Provincial  Auditor  and  the 
Assistant  Auditor  for  the  warm  interest  they  manifested  in  the  early 
progress  of  the  work. 

ALEXANDER  BEGG,  C.C. 

December,  1894. 


ERRATA. 


Page  122— For  "  1847,"  read  "  1860." 
u    124      it    "March,"  read  "June." 
ii    131      ..     "1832,"  read  "1830." 

,,  167— Instead  of  "travelled  along  with  the  annual  express,"  read  "  followed  the  Koofcenav 
Pass  through  the  Rockies." 

,,  176— Read  "  Dr.  McLoughlin  retired  from  the  service  in  1846." 

u  177 — Instead  of  "Chief  Factor  John  Lees,"  read  "John  Lee  Lewis." 

ii  178— Read  ".Mr.  Anderson  married  Miss  Birnie  in  1836." 

u  183        ii     "Chief  named  Tranquille,"  instead  of  "Wanquille." 

u    201        ii     "Chief  Justice  Cameron  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Needham  in  1865,  who,  in  1870, 
was  transferred,  etc. 

it  202— In  obituary  notice  (tenth  line  from  bottom),  instead  of  "Judge  of  the  Court  of  the 
Colony  of  Vancouver  Island,"  read  "Colony  of  British  Columbia";  and  instead  of 
"simultaneously,  &c.,"  note  that  Mr.  Begbie  was  created  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Mainland  of  British  Columbia  by  "  An  Ordinance  to  regulate  the  Supreme  Courts 
of  Justice,"  passed  1st  March,  1869,  which  also  denned  the  title  of  the  Chief  Justice 
of  Vancouver  Island  then  held  by  Mr.  Needham.  That  Ordinance  provided 
that,  upon  a  vacancy  of  the  office  of  either  of  the  then  Chief  Justices,  the  two 
Supreme  Courts  should  be  merged  into  one,  the  remaining  Chief  Justice  to  preside 
over  it,  to  be  known  as  the  Chief  Justice  of  British  Columbia.  The  resignation  of 
Chief  Justice  Needham  created  a  vacancy,  which  was  filled  by  Chief  Justice  Begbie, 
under  an  Ordinance  passed  22nd  April,  1870,  when  both  Supreme  Courts  were 
united,  under  the  Chief  Justiceship  of  Sir  Matthew  B.  Begbie. 

n    203 — For  "Carej7,"  read  "Gary." 

,,    207— For  "  Joseph  Yates,"  read  "  James  Yates." 

u      u        u    "Yates  and  Skinner,"  read  "Skinner,  No.  2,"  and  "Yates,  No.  4." 

,,  233  u  "  two  officers,  one  Staff  Assistant  Surgeon,  and  eighteen  non-commissioned  officers 
and  men,"  read  "  three  officers,  one  Staff  Assistant  Surgeon,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  non-commissioned  officers  and  men." 

ii  245      M     "  Sankster,"  read  "Sangster";  also  in  page  246. 

u  248      M    "A.  J.  Dallas,"  read  "A.  Grant  Dallas." 

ii  373      u    "Bouce,  Henry,"  read  "Bruce,  Henry." 

,,      ,,        M    "Medure,  John,"  read  "Maclure,  John." 

,,      ,,        i,    "June,  John,"  read  "  Jane,  John." 

H      M        u    "  Simple,  Robert,"  read  "  Semple,  Robert." 

,.  386      i,     "  Philip  Hawkin,"  read  "Philip  J.  Hankin." 

u  388      u    "  Edward  Howard  Saunders,"  read  "Edward  Howard  Sanders." 

n      u      After  "Montague  Tyrwhitt  Drake,"  insert  "John  Sebastian  Helmcken." 

ii      u      Omit  the  word  "Hon."  before  "John  Robson." 

n  393— For  "  Bernard,"  read  "  Carroll." 

„  406      „    "William  Smith,"  read  "  William  Smithe." 

,,  407      n     "Mr.  Reed,"  read  "Mr.  James  Reid." 

n  443      n    "  Alex.  Graham,"  read  "  James  Allan  Grahame." 

it  444 — Omit  the  word  "  Chief"  before  "  Commissioner." 

u  447— For  "George  C.  Turnstall,"  read  "George  C.  Tunstall." 

H      H        n    "  T.  Fannin,"  read  "  J.  Fannin." 

n  449      n    "Captain  John  Irvine,"  read  "Captain  John  Irving." 

it    466— After  "  Mr.  Cridge  "  (third  line  from  top),  read  "  now  Bishop  Cridge  " ;    for  1^3  aw  "  (line 

11),  read  "Burr." 

n    469 — For  "Miss  Vieuseaux,"  read  "Mrs.  Vieuseaux." 
n    470      ,,    "  Robert  C.  Carey,"  read  "  Herbert  C.  Carey." 
u    473— Read  "the  number,  &c.,  equals  the  demand." 
H    474— After  "  Hector  M.  Stramberg,"  read  "  B. A." 
n      n      In  last  line,  for  "  High  Schools,"  read  ^  Public  Schools." 
n    475 — In  fourth  line  from  top,  read  "monthly"  instead  of  "quarterly." 
n    494— For  "Rev.  T.  P.  Jenns,"  read  "Rev.  P.  Jenns." 
n    495      i,     "  H.  C.  Tiedman,"  read  "H.  O.  Tiedemann." 
it    497— Third  line  from  top,  for  "  Owen  Sound,"  read  "  Collingwood." 
"    499— Second  line  from  top,  after  "held,"  read  "their  first  meeting  in  St.  Andrew's  Church, 

Vancouver;    their  second   meeting,"  &c.,    "and  their  third  in   Knox  Church, 

Calgary,  May  2nd,  1894." 

,i    536— Read  "  Hon.  J.  H.  Turner  and  Mrs.  Turner." 
n     546 — Instead  of  "  John,"  read  "  Alexander"  Rocke  Robertson. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

PAGE 

1-A  continuous  history.  2-Arranged  in  chronological  periods. 
3-The  pre-historic  period.  Early  navigators.  Captain  Cook 
(1778).  4-The  fur-trading  period.  5-Francis  Drake.  6- 
The  first  arrival  at  Nootka.  7-The  second  British  navigator. 
8-Captain  John  Meares  (1788).  9-The  great  navigator,  Cap- 
tain George  Vancouver  (1792-3-4).  10-Alexander  Mackenzie 
(1793).  11-The  North- West  Company  and  New  Caledonia 
(1808).  12-Union  of  the  companies  (1821).  13-Lease  of 
Alaska  (1839).  14-Fort  Camosun  selected  (1842).  15-Fort 
Victoria  erected  (1843).  16-First  officer  in  charge  (1844). 
17-Gold  discovered  (1848).  18-The  colonial  period  (1849). 
19- Colonization,  settlement  and  representative  govern- 
ment (1856).  20- A  second  crown  colony  (1858).  21-British 
Columbia.  22-Its  boundaries  defined  (1858  and  1863).  23- 
Governor  Douglas  knighted  (1863).  Succeeded  by  Captain 
Kennedy  (1864).  24-Union  of  the  Colonies  (1866).  Frederick 
Seymour  (1864-66,  1869).  25-The  Royal  City  (1859).  26- Vic- 
toria surveyed.  Its  boundaries  (1852).  27,  28,  29-The  beau- 
ties of  Victoria  (1862).  30-Other  beautiful  scenery— New 
Westminster.  31-Nanaimo — Its  spacious  bay.  32- Vancouver 
City.  33-Kamloops.  34- The  last  of  the  colonial  governors — 
Anthony.  Musgrave  (1869-71)-  35- What  comes  afterwards? 
The  Confederation  period  (1871-94) 7-15 


SECTION  I.— EARLY  DISCOVERIES. 

OHAPTER  I. — Captain  Cook's  third  voyage— His  commission  and 
instructions — Reward  of  £20,000— Reached  Nootka,  1778 —  ' 
Indian  village  and  surly  chiefs  —  Captain  Cook  leaves 
Nootka — On  the  northward  voyage  finds  a  different  type 
of  natives — The  North-West  passage  improbable — Among 
the  walruses — Returns  south  along  the  coast  of  Russia  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands — Death  of  Captain  Cook— Captain 
Clerke  returns  north — His  death— Captain  Gore  succeeds  to 
the  command  of  the  expedition — Lieutenant  King  becomes 
captain  of  the  Discovery — The  expedition  reaches  England, 
having  lost  both  commanders 17-24 


SECTION  II.— THE  FUR-TRADING  PERIOD. 

OHAPTER  I. — Expeditions  organized  —  Pioneer  trader  Hanna 
reaches  Nootka,  1785 — British  navigators :  Scott,  Meares, 
Portlock,  Dixon — Barclay,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Barclay — 
Two  British  vessels  arrive  under  command  of  Captain 
Strange,  1786 — United  States  flag  and  traders — Gray  and 
Kendrick,  1788— Meares  at  Friendly  Cove,  1788— John  Me- 


VI  CONTENTS. 


Kay  remains  at  Nootka — Maquilla  and  Callicum — Their  fleet 
—Indian  music — Presents  and  building  site — House  building 
— Fortification — Friendly  natives — !Sad  end  of  Callicum — 
Inhuman  conduct  of  a  Spanish  officer.  .....  25-31 

CHAPTER  II. — Memorial  from  Captain  Meares — Seizures  by  the 
Spaniards — Launch  of  the  North-West  A merica— Message 
from  King  George  III.  to  the  House  of  Commons — Approved 
by  the  House  of  Lords. 32-41 

CHAPTER  III. — The  Spanish  reply — Extravagant  claims — Special 
Pleading — Reply  by  the  British  ambassador— Spain  and 
France  combine  against  Britain — Preparations  for  war — 
Family  compact — Fitz Herbert's  proposals  accepted.  .  .  42-5O 

CHAPTER  IV. — Captain  Vancouver's  appointment — Officers  under 
his  command — The  ships  leave  the  Thames,  taking  the 
route  via  Cape  of  Good  Hope — Call  at  the  Sandwich  Islands — 
Reach  Straits  of  Fuca,  April,  1792 — Explorations  commenced 
at  Puget  Sound — Meet  Spanish  vessels — Circumnavigate  the 
large  island  (now  Vancouver  Island) — Reception  at  Nootka, 
August,  1792 — The  Spanish  question  discussed  by  Quadra 
and  Vancouver — Death  of  Quadra.  .....  50-54 

CHAPTER  V. — Important  state  papers — Fresh  evidence — Com- 
missioners appointed  to  assess  damages  sustained  by  Cap- 
tain Meares — Withdrawal  of  the  Spanish  fleet — Kendrick 
attempts  to  secure  large  tracts  of  land — Surveys  of  1793— 
Fur  trade  along  the  coast — Winter  at  Sandwich  Islands.  .  55-59 

CHAPTER  VI. — Mackenzie's  overland  journey  to  the  Pacific — His 
qualifications  and  enterprise — The  westward  route—  Alex- 
ander McKay — Head-waters  of  Peace  River — He  reaches  a 
river  flowing  southerly —  Supposes  it  to  be  the  river 
Columbia — Alarming  intelligence — Mutiny  threatened — They 
leave  their  boat  and  proceed  on  foot 60-68- 

CHAPTER  VII. — Mackenzie's  trouble  with  guides — He  shaves  his 
beard — Hugging  and  hospitality — Reaches  the  Pacific  shore 
— Inscription  on  the  rock— Dr.  Sandford  Fleming's  opinion 
— Mackenzie  knighted — Later  particulars  from  Dr.  Masson, 
of  Edinburgh. 69-81 

CHAPTER  VIII.  —  Vancouver's  explorations  continued  —  His 
voyage  and  surveys  north — The  Nootka  difficulty  settled  — 
The  British  flag  unfurled  at  Nootka  over  the  land  restored 
— The  sea-otter  trade — Great  profits — Trouble  with  the 
Indians — Their  tactics — Capture  of  the  Boston— Jewett's  ac- 
count— Another  attack — Russian  project — Astoria  founded 
on  the  Columbia  River,  1810— The  Tonquin — Alexander 
Mackay — Intoxicating  liquor.  ......  81-91 

CHAPTER  IX. — Explorations  and  fur-trading  on  the  mainland — 
Simon  Eraser's  great  exploit — His  journal — Reaches  the 
great  river  in  1806 — Supplies  arrive,  1807—  Preparations  com- 
pleted, 1808— Fraser's  journal — Cascades,  canyons  and  whirl- 
pools— Thompson  River — Jackass  Mountain— Spuzzum.  .  92-95- 


CONTENTS.  vii 

VAGB 

CHAPTER  X. — David  Thompson,  the  astronomer — .Joins  the 
North- West  Company — Crosses  the  Rockies  at  Bow  River 
Pass  in  1800— Howe's  Pass  in  1807— Kootenay,  1809— Mouth 
of  Columbia,  1811 — Fort  Kamloops— Simon  Eraser's  retire- 
ment— Sandford  Fleming's  reference  to  David  Thompson — 
North-West  Company — Original  partners— Plan  of  operations 
— Great  success  in  1783 — The  X.  Y.  Company — Long  credit 
— Founders  of  the  fur  trade — Business  in  1798 — Guides, 
equipment,  canoes  and  crews — The  early  traders  deserve  credit  95- 104 

CHAPTER  XI. — Operations  on  the  Columbia  River — Establishment 
of  Astoria — The  new  administration — Alexander  Henry — Ross 
Cox — Donald  MacTavish — Flathead  Indians — Alexander 
Ross,  a  passenger  on  the  Tonqnin — Gabriel  Franchere's  nar- 
rative— The  war  sloop  Racoon — Cause  of  the  war — The  rivalry 
which  existed — Brought  before  Parliament — Reconciliation  .  105-110 

CHAPTER  XII. — Union  of  the  North- West  Company  and  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company— Charter  of  H.  B.  Co.,  1670— The 
new  Governor,  Sir  George  Simpson — Explorations  and  geo- 
graphical discoveries — Division  of  departments — Classification 
of  officers— Growth  of  H.  B.  Co.  from  1789  to  1856.  .  .  111-114 

CHAPTER  XIII. — Native  tribes  and  civilization — Indian  popula- 
tion in  1852  and  1892 — Educational  grants  to  industrial 
schools — Superintendent's  report — Deserted  villages.  .  .  115-119 

CHAPTER  XIV. — Primitive  Indian  regulations — The  systems  con- 
trasted— Wars  and  massacres — Policy  of  the  British  fur  com- 
panies— Servants  held  responsible — "Daughters  of  the  Land  " 
—Half-breed  women  and  children  in  1817.  .  .  119-121 

CHAPTER  XV. — Fort  Vancouver — An  extensive  concern — A  well- 
managed  farm — Walla  Walla — Annual  accounts  made  up  at 
Fort  Colville — Annual  expeditions — Convention  of  1818 — 
Supplementary  license — The  Alaska  boundary  impracticable 
— Trade  with  Russia  and  the  interior  of  New  Caledonia— No 
money  required — Equivalents  in  1733  and  a  hundred  years 
later — Evidence  before  the  House  of  Commons  in  1857 — Death 
of  Dr.  J.  Rae,  the  explorer.  .  .  122-128 

CHAPTER  XVI. — Sundry  expeditions — Kamloops  and  Fort  Lang- 
ley — Sir  George  Simpson  at  Fort  St.  James,  18213 — Stuart 
Lake — James  Douglas — From  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific— 
The  route  and  time  occupied — A  former  journey  mentioned — 
David  Douglas — The  Douglas  fir — Robert  Campbell — Dr. 
Dawson — Early  experience  of  James  Douglas  (afterwards  Sir 
James) — His  experience  in  New  Caledonia — Fort  Connolly — 
Tragedy  at  Fort  St.  James— Hairbreadth  escapes — McLough- 
lin  and  Douglas — Promotion  for  Douglas— Russian  Fur  Com-./'' 
pany — Alaska  Treaty — Lease  of  Alaska  from  Russia  (1838-9)^ 
to  Hudson  Bay  Co. — Armed  fleet — Settlers  arriving — Ban- 
croft  moralizes — The  boundary  question — A  noble  act 
Douglas  rescues  Lassertes — Roderick  Finlayson — Arrival  at 
Vancouver — Fort  Langley — Took  possession  of  Fort  Stickeen 
—Douglas  at  Sitka— Fort  Taku  built,  1840-1— Narrow  escape 
of  Finlayson — Return  of  the  Beaver  to  Puget  Sound.  .  .  128-145 


Vlll        •  CONTENTS. 

PAQB 

CHAPTER  XVII. — Sir  George  Simpson's  visit,  1841 — His  route — 
Edmonton  —  Fort  Colville  —  Fort  Vancouver  —  Interesting 
visits — "Confusion  of  tongues"  at  Cowlitz  River — Puget 
Sound  farms — North  to  Fort  Simpson  and  Stickeen — Sitka — 
Governor  Etholin — Immense  trade — Fur  seals — Teetotalism 
— Permission  to  marry — Change  of  headquarters — Foit  Van- 
couver described — Large  farms  in  1841 — Settlement,  1839 — 
Sandwich  Islands— Thence  to  Sitka 146-153 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — Fort  Camosun  (Victoria)  selected — Forts  Taku 
and  .Stickeen — Flags  half-mast — No  more  rum — The  year 
1843,  a  semi-centennial  mark — Mackenzie  and  Vancouver, 
1793 — Fort  Victoria  built — Expedition  from  Fort  Vancouver 
—Father  Bolduc — Men  from  the  north — Expeditious  work — 
The  very  best  men — Douglas  and  McLoughlin — Roderick 
Finlaysori — Cowichins  help  themselves — Covetous  chiefs — 
How  Finlayson  dealt  with  them — The  pipe  of  peace  smoked 
—Ships  direct  from  England  to  Victoria,  1845— Whalers.  .  154-166 

CHAPTER  XIX. — The  territory  to  be  divided — Captain  Gordon's  ., 
arrival — Royal  Engineers —  Warre  and  Vavasour — ' '  Fifty-four  6^ 
forty  or  fight " — Sir  Rich.  Pakenham — United  States  claims — 
Great  Britain's  arguments — Oregon  boundary,  1827 — Conven- 
tion of  1790 — Oregon  treaty  passed,  1846 — Free  navigation 
of  the  Columbia — Correspondence  relative  to  Straits  of  Fuca 
boundary — A  fair  proposition  from  Mr.  Crompton,  1848 — 
Delayed  until  1856 — H.  B.  Co.'s  business  flourishing  at  Vic- 
toria under  Mr.  Finlayson — Paul  Kane — Dr.  McLoughlin 
retires — Alexander  Mackay's  widow — Hudson  Bay  Company 
indemnified — A.  C.  Anderson— High  duties— Discovery  of 
gold  in  California — Gold  nuggets — Removal  of  Factor  Doug- 
las and  family  to  Victoria,  1849 — First  notice  received — Great 
excitement — Coal  discovered — J.  W.  Mackay — Forts  Langley 
ancLYale — Fort  Thompson — John  Tod — Horse  flesh  used  for 
food.  .  .  .  166-184 

CHAPTER  XX. — Colonization  introduced — Immigration  and  miners 
— Proposal  to  colonize — Grant  of  Vancouver  Island,  1849 — 
Rent,  seven  shillings  per  annum — Circular  issued  by  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company — Conditions  of  settlement — Report  to 
be  made  every  two  years  to  Secretary  of  State.  .  .  .  184-188 


SECTION  HI.- THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 

CHAPTER  I.— Governor  Blanshard  appointed,  1849— Reaches  Vic- 
toria, 1850 — Pessimistic  remarks  by  "Bancroft" — Fort  Rupert 
— The  Muir  family — Coal  mining  in  1853 — Governor  Blan- 
shard visits  Fort  Rupert — Dr.  Helmcken  appointed  first 
magistrate  in  the  colony — Desertion  of  sailors — Three  men 
%  murdered — Rewards  offered — Dr.  Helmcken  and  Blenkinsop 
—Petition  from  the  settlers — Provisional  Council  nominated 
—  Captain  Grant's  colony — A  large  reserve — Another  grievance 
— Governor  Blanshard  dissatisfied — He  departs  for  England, 
September,  1851 — Governor  Douglas  sworn  in,  November, 
1851 — Complimentary  notice — Lieutenant-Govern  or  of  Queen 
Charlotte  Islands.  .  .  .  189-200 


CONTENTS.  ix 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  II. — Governor  Douglas  nominates  his  Council — Chief 
Justice  Cameron  appointed — Chief  Justice  Needham — Chief 
Justice  Begbie — Petition  from  the  settlers — Licenses  for 
revenue— Legislature  established,  June,  1856— The  first  elec- 
tions— Dr.  Helmcken's  speech — Meeting  of  the  Legislature — 
Speech  from  the  Throne  by  Governor  Douglas— The  "happy 
family" — Group  of  the  pioneer  legislators  (Skinner  should 
have  been  No.  2  and  Yates  No.  4) — Rev.  Robert  J.  Staines 
— Reminiscences .  .  .  201-219 

CHAPTER  111. — Charter  and  license  repealed— The  monopoly — The 
subject  before  the  British  Parliament,  1857  — Gold  excitement 
on  Fraser  River— Governor  requested  for  the  mainland — Lord 
Lytton's  despatches— Governor  Douglas  is  made  Governor  of  t 

the  mainland  by  a  separate  Commission  for  the  colony  of 
British  Columbia  —  Full  instructions — Royal  Engineers — 
Colonel  Moody— Captain  Parsons. 219-232 

CHAPTER  IV. — Further  instructions  and  appointments — Aborigines 
Protection  Society — Judge  Begbie 's  Commission — Lord  Lyt- 
ton's confidence  in  Governor  Douglas — Collector  of  Customs 
— Miners'  licenses — Military  assistance — Road  construction — - 
Peter  Brown's  murder — The  murderer  produced — Tried  to 
shoot  the  Governor — Marines  and  blue  jackets.  .  .  .  232-239 

CHAPTER  V. — The  San  Juan  Boundary  Question — Straits  of  Fuca 
—The  Boundary  Commissioners — Captain  Prevost's  view — 
Mr.  Campbell's  contention — Lord  Russell's  despatch — Squat- 
ters on  San  Juan  Island — Collectors  Sankster  and  Ebey — 
Senator  W.  J.  Mucdonald — Sheep  sold  to  pay  taxes — The  two 
national  flags  unfurled — Doubtful  characters— General  Harney 
—Difficulty  about  Cutler's  pig— Mr.  Dallas,  Dr.  Tolmie  and 
Mr.  Fraser— Mr.  Griffin's  letter  and  reply 240-250 

CHAPTER  VI. — A  collision  prevented  by  Governor  Douglas — Vis- 
count Milton — Captmi  Pickett — Joint  occupation  of  San 
Juan  Island — The  peace-maker  !  —  Additional  letters  —  A 
double  game — Ready  for  a  broidside — Casey's  report — Pre- 
paring for  war — Harney  supers  3ded — General  Scott's  instruc- 
tions— Lord  Lyons  to  Mr.  Cass — Joint  military  occupation 
pending  settlement — Whiskey  sellers  cause  trouble — The 
decision  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany 251-262 

CHAPTER  VII. — The  gold  discoveries — Rapid  spread  of  mining 
news — Thompson  and  Fraser  Rivers — The  natives  jealous — 
Golden  "aurora  borealis  " — Crews  desert  vessels — Well  orga- 
nized—Overland route— Indian  fortifications — Fires  and 
counter  fires — The  prowling  savages  follow — Over  thirty  thou- 
sand people  — Gold  dust  on  deposit — Tovvnsend  and  Whatcom 
— Rates  of  passage — War  vessels — Governor  Douglas  visited 
the  mainland — The  fur  trade  superseded — A  standard  license — 
Provisions  scarce  Indians  dislike  the  "  B<  ston  men  "—Party 
of  miners  formed  -  A  skirmish — Peace  restored — Conference 
at  Government  House — Decision  of  the  Council  on  navigation 
laws  and  Fraser  River.  .  263-273 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. — Second  meeting  of  the  Legislature,  1858 — Water 
supply — Bill  of  Supply  for  the  year — Education — Schools 
examined  by  Mr.  Cndge — Impromptu  speech  by  Governor 
Douglas  to  the  miners — Free  port  of  Victuria — Public  notices 
— Search  after  gold — Graphic  description.  ....  274-283 

CHAPTER  IX. — Mining  regulations — Puget  Sound  Agricultural 
Company — The  African  race—  Spirituous  liquor— -Difficulties 
between  the  miners  and  natives — Governor  Douglas  and  party 
proceed  to  the  mainland — Commissioners  appointed — New 
map  of  Victoria — Streets  named — Road-cutting  expedition — 
Fort  Langley — Whiskey,  powder  and  shot — Governor  Douglas 
resigned  Hudson  Bay  Company  factorship — Proclaimed  Gov- 
ernor of  British  Columbia — Ceremonies  at  Fort  Langley — 
Proclamations  issued — Sale  of  Langley  town  lots — Name 
changed  to  Derby 284-291 

CHAPTER  X.— Increased  trade — Comparative  view  of  imports — 
The  current  year  of  1858 — New  buildings — Colonel  Moody's 
arrival — Lieut.  Mayne  of  the  Plumper — Desperate  characters 
at  Hills  Bar — Royal  Engineers — Marines  and  blue  jackets — 
FoyXXangley  and  Fort  Hope— Canoe  trip — Floating  ice — 
Narrow  escapes — Struck  on  Cornish  Bar — Hospitable  treat- 
ment at  Yale.  ....  .  .  .  291-297 

CHAPTER  XL — Colonel  Moody  holds  church  service— Orderly  and 
attentive  congregation  of  miners — Edward  McGowaii  com- 
mits an  assault — Explanations — Peace  restored — McGowan 
obliged  to  flee — Salute  at  Fort  Hope — Captain  Lewis — Site  of 
New  Westminster  examined  and  selected — Derby  abandoned 
— Romantic  Sapperton — Queensborough — Sale  of  lots.  .  .  297-302 

CHAI;TER  XII. — Missionary  Duncan-  -His  great  success  among  the 
natives — H.M.S.  Satellite — Free  passage — Sailed  December, 
1856,  reached  Vancouver  Island  June,  1857 — The  first  Pro- 
testant missionary — Roman  Catholic  priests — Their  mode  of 
teaching — ]£o.rjb  .Simpson — Attempt  to  murder  Duncan — Un- 
welcome visitors — Onerous  duties — Indian  schools — Assist- 
ance for  Duncan — He  chooses  a  new  site — Met-lah-kat-lah — 
Mr.  Tugwell. 302-307 

CHAPTER  XIII. — New  Year  receptions — New  school-house — New 
missions  established — Queensborough  surveyed  by  the  Royal 
Engineers — First  public  service— Express  companies — Postal 
rates — Colonel  Moody's  residence— Public  Buildings  in  Vic- 
toria, 1859 — Parliament  and  public  buildings  in  progress  of 
construction,  1893— United  States  currency — Messages  from 
Governor  Douglas 307-316 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Gold  plentiful— Details  of  gold  mining— The 
prospector's  pan — How  it  is  used — The  "  rocker  "  or  "cradle  " 
— How  worked — Sluicing— Mining  at  Hills  Bar — Water  regu- 
lations—An inch  of  water — Hydraulic  mining— Scientific 
mining. 316-321 


CONTENTS.  XI 


CHAPTER  XV. — Large  gravel  deposits — Hydraulic  mining  in 
Cariboo — Similar  work  in  California — Quartz  mining — Other 
rich  gold  regions — Mode  of  treating  the  ora—  Quartz  mill — 
Rush  of  miners  not  as  great  in  1859 — Queens  borough  pro- 
claimed port  of  entry — Settlement  on  Vancouver  Island — 
Land  sold  by  auction— Queensborough — Name  changed  to 
New  Westminster,  July,  1859 — Report  and  despatch,  October, 
1859,  from  Governor  Douglas  to  the  Duke  of  Newcastle — 
Expedition  to  Queen  Charlotte  Islands — Major  Downie's 
report— Skeena  River — Babine  Lake,  one  hundred  miles  long 
— "  Hunting  for  gold  " — Coast  Indians — Small-pox — The  men 
dissipated  and  dangerous — The  women  degraded — A  grateful 
husband — Polygamy.  ...  ....  321-328 

CHAPTER  XVI.— The  Clergy  Reserve  question — Rev.  E.  Cridge — 
Salary  of  the  chaplain— Agreement  with  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany— A  startling  fact — Opposition  to  Clergy  Reserves — Sun- 
dry opinions — Rev.  Wm.  F.  Clark — Public  sentiment  re- 
spected— The  second  general  election,  1860 — Judge  Begbie's 
report — Non-residence  of  officials — Mount  Baker.  .  .  329-333 

CHAPTER  XVII. — Gold  mining  transactions  and  returns — Five 
thousand  men  employed  in  1861 — In  the  Cariboo  country, 
1,500 — The  earnings — The  lucky  ones— Value  of  the  gold 
dust— The  official  table,  1858  to  1893,  inclusive.  .  .  .  334-336 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — Missionary  work — Various  denominations — 
Church  of  England — Methodist — Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel — Duncan —Cridge — Crosby — Tugwell — Rev. 
Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson — His  account  of  Mr.  Duncan's  early  life 
— Duncan's  arrival  at  Fort  Simpson — Tsimpsean  Indians, 
2, 300 — Human  depravity — Medicine-men — Dog-eaters — Fire- 
water— Singing  and  dancing — School  opens,  1858 — Removal 
to  Met-lah-kat-lah  in  1862— The  regulations  adopted— Old 
ties  broken — Bishop  Hills  visits  the  village  in  1863 — Bap- 
tizes fifty-seven  adults — One  thousand  people— Band  of 
twenty -four  instruments — Mission  at  Massett — Average  atten- 
dance at  church  service,  350 — Mr.  Collison,  1878 — Rev. 
George  Sneath — Death  of  a  chief — Alert  Bay  Mission.  .  .  337-344 

CHAPTER  XIX. — Royal  Engineers — Extensive  surveys — Reports 
made  by  Lieutenants  Mayne  and  Palmer — Mayne's  journey 
along  the  Thompson  and  other  rivers — Fort  Kamloops — How 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  officers  live — Their  character— 
Shuswap  chief — The  dwelling  or  hut— Walter  Moberly,  C.E., 
arrives — Hardships — Tries  mining — Return  trip  and  poor 
luck — Receives  appointment  from  Colonel  Moody — Heavy 
bill  at  a  country  hotel — Partner  with  Mr.  Dewdney — Public 
works — Proclamation — Cariboo  Road  and  Royal  Engineers, 
1861— Messrs.  Trutch  and  Spence  hold  (1862)  contracts  to 
build  portions  of  the  road.  .......  345-351 

CHAPTER  XX.— ^A  resident  governor  asked  for — Delegation  waits 
on  Governor  Douglas — A  representative  assembly  wanted 
(1861) — Petition  to  the  Crown — A  lengthy  and  exhaustive 
reply  to  the  memorial  in  twenty-six  paragraphs  .  .  .  352-358- 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

PAOK 

CHAPTER  XXI. — Roads  and  salaries — Expenditure  for  roads — 
Separate  governors  proposed — Despatch,  Juno  15th,  1863 — 
Legislative  council  to  be  constituted  in  British  Columbia — 
Salaries  of  officers  in  Vancouver  Island  colony — Salaries  in 
British  Columbia — A  difficult  problem— A  new  legislature  to 
be  elected  and  convened  similar  to  that  already  existing  in 
Vancouver  Island  colony — Ey~officio  members  nominated  .  358-361 

CHAPTER  XXII. — Governor  Douglas  knighted,  1863 — His  com- 
mission as  governor  of  Vancouver  Island  colony  lapses — A 
popular  governor — Commission  as  governor  of  British  Colum- 
bia terminates  in  1864 — Closes  his  term  at  New  Westminster 
— Enthusiastic  farewell  procession  —Governor  Kennedy  to 
succeed  Douglas  in  Vancouver  Island— He  arrives,  March, 
1864  —  Governor  Seymour  succeeds  Douglas  in  British 
Columbia — He  arrives,  April,  1864 — A  proposition  to  unite 
both  colonies  under  one  governor — Resolutions  passed  at 
public  meetings  for  and  against  the  union — Victoria  and  New 
Westminster  agree  to  be  united — Legislative  Assembly,  1865, 
passes  union  resolutions — Despatch  transmitted  by  Governor 
Kennedy  to  Colonial  Secretary — Amor  de  Cosmos  .  .  362-367 

CHAPTER  XXIII. — Governor  Seymour  opposes  union — Despatch 
to  Secretary  Cardwell — He  writes  from  Paris — On  his  mar- 
riage tour — Petition  from  445  residents  in  British  Colombia 
in  favor  of  union — Effort  to  have  permanent  seat  of  govern- 
ment at  New  Westminster — Royal  Engineers  disbanded,  1863 
—Those  remaining,  1894  ...  ...  368-373 

CHAPTER  XXIV. — Further  surveys  for  roads  and  railways — Mr. 
Moberly  instructed  to  superintend  the  work — The  Columbia 
River  route — The  "  Big  Bend  "  and  Yellow-head  Pass — Gov- 
ernor Seymour  ceases  to  oppose  the  union  of  the  colonies — 
His  speech,  1808 — Confederation  memorial  from  Victoria, 
1868,  to  the  Governor-General  of  Canada— Hon.  S.  L.  Tilley's 
reply — Discussions  on  the  Pacific  Railway — Alfred  Wadding- 
ton — Bute  Inlet  route — Confederation  League  formed — The 
Dominion  takes  action — Open-air  meeting  at  Barkerville — 
Rousing  speeches — Babbitt  and  Booth — Delegates  appointed 
to  attend  the  Yale  convention 374-381 

CHAPTER  XXV. — Preparations  for  Confederation — Convention  at 
Yale — Committee  appointed — They  report  in  favor  of  the 
immediate  admission  of  British  Columbia  into  the  Dominion 
— Contrary  vote  in  the  Legislative  Council — Legislature  pro- 
rogued, March,  1869— Death  of  Dr.  Davie— Death  of  Gover- 
nor Seymour —Governor  Musgrave  appointed — His  early 
career— Trip  to  Cariboo — Despatch  from  Lord  Granville— 
Legislature  meets,  February,  1870 — Postage  rate,  six  cents.  .  382-387 

CHAPTER  XXVI. — Union  with  Canada — Resolutions  framed — The 
Legislature  of  British  Columbia — Ready  for  work  of  1  he  ses- 
sion— Outline  of  terms  of  union — The  great  Confederation 
debate — Discussion  lasts  from  9th  March  to  23rd  April— Dele- 
gates Dr.  Helmcken,  Trutch  and  Bernard  chosen  by  the 
Executive  to  present  terms  of  union  to  Commons,  Ottawa  — 
Terms  agreed  on,  July  7th,  1870 — Afterwards  ratified  by 
British  Columbia.  .  388-397 


CONTENTS.  xil! 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  XXVII. — Terms  of  Union  guarantee — Change  in  the 
Constitution  of  British  Columbia— -Railway  to  be  completed 
in  ten  years — Electoral  districts  formed — The  new  council, 
elected  November,  1870,  meets  January  5th,  1871 — Speaker- 
ship  declined — Legislature  opened  by  Governor  Musgrave — 
Important  considerations — Address  to  the  Queen— Responsi- 
ble Government— Old  map  discovered — Motion  by  Dr. 
Helmckeii— Map  called  in — British  claims  admitted — A  big 
threat — Admission  of  British  Columbia  to  the  Union — Ban- 
quet to  Mr.  Truich  at  Ottawa — Explanations  —  Sandford 
Fleming  appointed  Chief  Engineer  to  Pacific  Railway — Clos- 
ing remarks  by  Governor  Musgrave — Harmonious  relations — 
Complimentary  addresses — Created  a  knight — Civil  Engineers 
Moberly,  Maclennan,  etc. — Marcus  Smith — Various  Impor- 
tant surveys. 397-404 


SECTION  IV.— THE  CONFEDERATION  PERIOD. 

CHAPTER  I. — The  first  Lieutenant-Governor — Visit  of  Hon.  Mr. 
Langevin  —Cariboo— His  report — First  Legislative  Assembly 
under  Confederation — List  of  members — Bills  passed — Sena- 
tors appointed  —  Representatives  at  Ottawa — Richardson's 
report  of  surveys — Marcus  Smith  —  Seymour  Narrows  — 
Yellow-head  Pass — Sandford  Fleming — Memoir — Pacific  Rail- 
way— Ocean  to  ocean — Principal  Grant — Professor  Macoun — 
The  Pacific  Ocean  cable  405-414 

CHAPTER  II. — Three  routes  surveyed — Source  of  Fraser  River- 
Route  to  Burrard  Inlet  selected — Cost  of  survey  up  to  1878 — 
Subsidy  and  land  grant — Charter  applied  for — Sir  Hugh 
Allan — Huntingdon's  statement — Committee  to  investigate — 
Mackenzie's  administration — Meeting  of  British  Columbia 
Legislature,  1873— Esquimalt  dry-dock— Visit  to  England  by 
Mr.  De  Cosmos — Protest  against  the  continued  breach  of 
terms  of  Union — Hon.  Mr.  Walkem  proceeds  to  England  to 
present  petition — The  "Carnarvon  terms" — Mr.  Edgar's 
mission — Further  railway  surveys.  .....  415-422 

CHAPTER  III. — Surveys  in  the  interior — Mr.  Jarvis — Great  hard- 
ships— Meeting  of  Legislature,  1876  —Resignation  of  Walkem 
government — The  Mongolian  question— Lord  Dufferin's  visit 
— Would  not  pass  under  an  objectionable  arch — Declined  to 
receive  an  address  from  a  deputation  —  Public  feeling  — 
Poetry  on  the  subject — Mackenzie  defended— Lord  Dufferin's 
tour — His  celebrated  speech — Sir  John  A.  Macdonald  again 
premier. 423-428 

CHAPTER  IV.  —  A  new  syndicate  —  Terms  of  construction  — 
Subsidy — First  sod  on  Canadian  Pacific  turned,  1880 — Bridge 
across  the  Fraser — Seven  thousand  men  employed — A  daring 
feat — Esijuimalt  and  Nanaimo  railway — The  railway  belt — 
Dry-dock  transferred  to  the  Dominion — Conditions— Captain 
Devereaux — Impregnable  fortifications 429-434 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

I'AGK 

CHAPTER  V. — Transfer  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway — The 
general  manager — Lord  Lome  and  the  Princess  Louise — Visit 
to  British  Columbia — Sir  Charles  Tupper — Lord  Lansdowne's 
visit — Party  of  railway  directors — Union  of  east  and  west — 
Ceremony  of  driving  the  "golden  spike  "— The  first  through 
train.  .  434-440 

CHAPTER  VI. — New  management  of  Hudson  Bay  Company — 
Members  of  Board — Messrs.  Work,  Dr.  Tolmie,  Mactavish 
and  Grahame — Chief  commissioner — Messrs.  Charles  and 
Munro— Thomas  R.  Smith— Robert  H.  Hall— C.  C.  Chipman.  440-444 

CHAPTER  VII. — New  route  of  travel — Geological  examinations — 
Dr.  Selwyn's  extended  explorations — Gold  seekers  in  1862 
— Ninety  Red  River  carts — Yellow-head  Pass — An  unfortu- 
nate trip — The  survivors— Public  museum — Mr.  Fannin — 
Captain  Palliser's  report  adverse — Dr.  G.  M.  Dawson,  1875, 
1877  and  1879— Valuable  geological  reports  ....  445-449 

CHAPTER  VIII. — Travel  and  trade  facilities — The  Canadian  Navi- 
gation Company — Manager  John  Irving — Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  Company's  line — The-  three  Empresses — Log  of  the 
Empress  of  India — Around  the  world — Canadian  and  Austra- 
lian line — The  proposed  Pacific  cable — Hon.  Mr.  Bowell — 
Sandford  Fleming — Trade  of  Hawaiian  islands — Northern 
Pacific  Steamship  Company — Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Com- 
pany— Puget  Sound  and  Alaska  Steamship  Company — The 
Comox  line — The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway — Three  of  the 
directors  created  knights — The  steamer  Beaver — First  on  the 
North  Pacific — Comparative  size  of  the  present  steamships — 
View  of  Beaver  and  Indian  canoes  (see  also  page  501  for 
canoes  and  totems)  ........  449-457 

CHAPTER  IX. — Railways,  coal  deposits  and  gold  -Railways  in 
course  of  construction — Projected  lines — Nakusp  and  Slocan 
railway — Nicola  Valley  railway — Extraordinary  coal  deposits 
— Analysis — Seam  thirty  feet  thick — Abundant  supply — Van- 
couver island  mines— Nanaimo — Mining  for  gold — Dredging 
for  gold — West  Kootenay  district  rich  in  ores — East  Kootenay 
gives  great  promise  —  Assays  —  Nelson  —  Skylark  mine  — 
Kootenay  triumphs 458-463 

CHAPTER  X. — Education — Hudson  Bay  Company  provide  first 
teachers  for  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island — Robert  J. 
Stain  es  and  wife  arrive,  1849— Mr.  Staines  proposes  to 
return  to  England  in  1853,  but  is  drowned — Rev.  Mr. 
Cridge  (now  Bishop)  arrives,  1855 — The  agreement  made 
with  the  Hudson  Bay  Company — Appointed  honorary  super- 
intendent of  education — His  report  of  examinations,  1&61 — 
Alfred  Waddington,  superintendent,  1865— Governor  Sey- 
mour refuses  any  aid  to  public  schools,  after  union  of  colo- 
nies— After  Confederation  Provincial  Government  organized 
a  non-sectarian  school  system — Mr.  Jessop  first  superinten- 
dent after  Confederation— Visit  of  Lord  Dufferin,  1876,  to 
public  schools  of  Victoria — Promised  three  medals — C.  C. 
Mackenzie  next  superintendent  of  schools,  1878— S.  D. 


CONTENTS.  XV 

PAOR 

Pope,  present  superintendent,  appointed  1884 — The  "school- 
master's friend  " — Great  increase  in  school  attendance  —  A  most 
efficient  board  of  examiners — Free  education — No  separate 
schools— Synopsis  of  amended  School  Act,  1894 — Two  school 
inspectors — Prize  medals  continue  to  be  distributed  by  the 
Dominion  Governors — The  prize  medallists — High  schools — 
Value  of  school  property — View  of  two  Victoria  schools— 
Craigflower  school,  1861 — Minister  of  Education,  Col.  Baker 
— Death  of  Hon.  John  Robson,  referred  to  in  school  report 
of  1892  .  .  .  464-476 

^CHAPTER  XI. — Ecclesiastical — Roman  Catholic  missionaries  early 
in  the  field — Bishop  Demers — Father  Lootens  (now  bishop) — 
Father  J.  B.  Bolduc— The  Oblate  missionaries — First  Catholic 
school  —  Many  churches  —  The  "  Mother  House  "  —  Bishop 
D'Herbomez— Bishop  Seghers— St.  Joseph  hospital — Bishop 
Brondel — Bishop  Seghers  assassinated — Bishop  Lemmens — 
Old  and  new  cathedral — Separation  of  the  mainland— First 
"Vicar  Apostolic" — See  of  Westminster — Bishop  Durieu — 
Eighty  churches  in  Westminster  diocese — Schools  in  charge 
of  Oblate  fathers — Industrial  schools  for  Indian  children — 
Communities  of  religious  women  ......  477-484 

•CHAPTER  XII. — Methodist  work  begun  in  British  Columbia, 
1859,  by  Dr.  Evans — Revs.  White,  Robson  and  Browning — 
Governor  Douglas  lays  corner-stone  of  first  Methodist  church 
— Rev.  D.  V.  Lucas  arrives,  avssistant  missionary,  in  1862 — 
Five  congregations  in  1893,  in  Victoria — Rev.  Mr.  Browning, 
Nanaimo — The  mainland — Methodist  Conference  organized, 
1887— Places  of  worship  in  the  Province,  1893— Rev.  Thomas 
Crosby — Successful  amongst  the  natives  at  Fort  Simpson — 
Church  built — School  established — Mrs.  Crosby  and  Miss 
Knott — Industrial  fair — Revival,  winter  of  1877-8 — Mission 
extends  to  Kit-a-mart,  150  miles  south  of  Fort  Simpson — 
Potlatch — Nitinat  Indians — Rev.  J.  Stone — Coqualeetza  In- 
dian Institute — Rev.  E.  Robson — College  founded  at  New 
Westminster,  1892.  .  .  484-492 

•CHAPTER  XIII. — Presbyterian — Mission  field,  1858 — First  mis- 
sionary, 1861 — Rev.  John  Hall — First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Victoria,  1863— Second  missionary  stationed  at  New  West- 
minster, Rev.  Robert  Jamieson,  1862 — Nanaimo,  1864 — Revs. 
Aitken,  Clyde,  Anderson  and  Miller,  until  1889— Rev.  D.  A. 
McRae  installed,  1891— Rev.  Mr.  Hall  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Nimmo,  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Victoria,  1865 — 
Rev.  J.  Reid,  1876— Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  1881— Rev.  Mr. 
Gamble,  1882— Rev.  Donald  Fraser,  1884— Rev.  Dr.  Camp- 
bell, 1892,  the  present  pastor— Rev.  Mr.  Somerville,  1868— 
Second  congregation  formed,  St.  Andrew's,  1869 — Rev.  Mr. 
McGregor— R.  Stephen— Rev.  P.  McF.  McLeod,  1888— New 
St.  Andrew's,  1890— Central  Church,  1894— D.  McRae,  St. 
Paul's,  Victoria,  1891— Hev.  R.  G.  Murison,  1894— Rapid 
progress  in  Vancouver  city — Four  Presbyterian  churches — 
—Presbytery  of  Columbia,  1886— General  Assembly,  1887— 
New  Presbytery  of  Calgary,  181)4 492-499 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIV. — Anglican— Rev.  H.  Beaver — Rev.  Robert  Stain es 
—Rev.  E.  Cridge — Bishop  Hills  arrives  at  Es  ]uimnlt,  Janu- 
ary, 1860— St.  John's  (iron)  Church— Present  cathedral  con- 
secrated, 1872 — Diocesan  Synod,  1875 — Diocese  divided,  1879 
— Bishop  Hills  resigns,  1892 — Succeeded  by  Bishop  Perrin, 
1893 — Clergy  endowment — Industrial  Indian  school,  Alert 
Bay— Diocese  of  New  Westminster— Bishop  Sillitoe— Christ 
Church,  Hope,  1>60 — Other  churches — Diocese  of  Columbia 
—Bishop  Ridley— William  Duncan— Industries  in  1882-3.  .  499-503 

CHAPTER  XV. — Baptist — Organized  in  British  Columbia,  1877 — 
Wm.  Carne,  first  pastor,  Victoria — Calvary  Church — Em- 
manuel Church,  1886 — Olivet  Church,  New  Westminster — 
First  Baptist  Church,  1886— Second  Church,  1891— Third 
Church,  1894— Nanaimo,  1890— Membership  in  British 
Columbia.  ...  .  504-505 

THE  REFORMED  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. — Organized,  1875-6 — Rev. 
Bishop  Cridge,  1875— Consecrated  1876— Site  for  church 
granted  by  Sir  James  Douglas 505-506 

CHINESE  MISSIONS. — The  per  capita  tax — 7,500  in  British  Columbia 
— School  opened,  1885 — Converts — "Girls'  Rescue  Home" — 
Mr.  Gardiner — Rev.  Mr.  Lipscombe — Rev.  Mr.  Winchester 
—Mr.  Brodie.  .  506-507 

THE  SALVATION  ARMY. — "Attacking  force"  in  1887—  " Fighting 
force"  in  1894 — The  officers  in  British  Columbia — Meetings 
of  the  "Army" — Attendance  at  meetings — Barracks  at 
Nanaimo— Victoria  is  headquarters  of  British  Columbia — 
War  Cry  circulation — Brass  band — "Poor  Man's  Shelter"  at 
Vancouver — "  Rescue  Home  "  in  Victoria.  ....  508 

THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  JEWS. — The  ancient  church — Synagogue  in 

Victoria— The  Rabbi 508 

CHAPTER  XVI.— Lord  Stanley  of  Preston— Lady  Stanley,  1889— 
Loyally  received  at  Vancouver  city  and  New  Westminster — 
"Stanley  Park,"  named  after  his  Excellency — Crosses  to 
Victoria — Cordially  welcomed — Guests  of  Lieut. -Govern or 
Nelson — A  civic  banquet  given — A  "superlative"  speech — 
The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway — Mishap  to  the  Ampkion. — 
Narrow  escape  of  the  vice-regal  party — Lord  Aberdeen  and 
the  Countess  of  Aberdeen  visit  British  Columbia,  1894 — Mar- 
ried in  1877 — Visit  to  the  Coldstream  ranch e— Address  from 
the  pioneers— The  Kootenay  country — The  maple  leaf — The 
party  reach  Vancouver  city — Hotel  Vancouver— His  Excel- 
lency and  the  Countess  on  the  balcony— Three  addresses  pre- 
sented and  replied  to — The  Halloween  banquet — Characteristic 
address  from  the  chairman— Suitable  reply — The  toasts  of  the 
evening— Excellent  speeches— Sandford  FJeming  and  Mr. 
Mercer — The  Pacific  cable — Canadian  enterprise — Mackenzie 
Bowell— Lady  Marjorie,  the  youngest  editress — Visit  to  the 
schools  and  the  court  house— Competition  medals  promised 
by  the  Governor-General — Art  and  science.  .  .  509-526 


CONTENTS.  XV11 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XVII. — Arrival  at  Victoria — Guard  of  honor — Sir  Wil- 
liam Wallace  Society — Sunday  services — Board  of  Trade — 
Important  address — Provincial  topics — Agriculture  the  "  back- 
bone industry  " — Sons  of  Erin — Compliment  to  the  Countess 
of  Aberdeen — Public  schools'  welcome — Dignity  of  teaching — 
The  Minister  of  Education — Address  by  the  Countess — Wee 
Willie  Winkie— The  Alexandra  Ladies'  Club.  .  .  .  526-535 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — Visit  to  Duncan's  station — Addresses  from 
farmers  and  Indians — Lord  Aberdeen  on  farming — Compli- 
mentary to  the  railways — An  evening  party — The  set  of  honor 
and  Scotch  reels — Jubilee  hospital — Chinese  missions — Royal 
Marine  Artillery — Boys'  Brigade — Special  medals — Women 
of  Canada — Address  in  the  theatre — National  Council  of 
Canada — Victoria  Branch — Farewell  to  Victoria — Wellington 
mines — -At  Nanaimo,  the  coal  metropolis — Enthusiastic  recep- 
tion— Vancouver  Coal  Company's  works — The  vice-regal  party 
leave  for  Vancouver  on  steamer  Joan — Kamloops — List  of 
governors  and  lieutenant-governors 536-545 

CHAPTER  XIX. — Parliamentary — Members  of  Executive  —  Six 
parliaments — Premiers,  presidents  of  council  and  speaker — 
Opening  of  the  Seventh  Parliament  by  Lieutenant-Governor 
Dewdiiey — List  of  members — A  critique — Motion  on  "the 
Fisheries" — Revenue  for  the  year — Appropriation  to  suf- 
ferers by  flood  in  Fraser  River.  ......  546-554 

CHAPTER  XX. — Fur  sealing  and  the  Alaska  boundary — Claims  by 
Sealers— Treaty  of  1892— Arbitration  in  Paris,  1893— Annual 
seal  catch  since  1890 — President  Cleveland's  message,  1894 — 
Photo- topography — Mount  St.  Elias  lost  to  the  United  States 
— Mount  Aberdeen — United  States  charts — Portland  Canal 
beyond  the  treaty  limit — Revilla  Gigedo — Death  of  Sir  John 
Thompson 555-559 

CHAPTER  XXI. — Condition  of  the  Province — Sources  of  and 
Excess  of  Expenditure  over  Revenue — Loans,  how  applied — 
Inscribed  stock — Increase  in  Revenue — Expenditure  for  seven 
years — Exemption  from  taxes — New  buildings — The  ocean 
docks — Marine  railway — Manufactures — Industrial  Establish- 
ments— Arts  and  sciences — The  artists — Astronomy — Fruit 
trees  and  Forestry — Lumber  trade —Temporary  stringency — 
Growth  and  possibilities  of  trade — Colonization  and  free  home- 
steads— A  great  MARITIME  PROVINCE 560-568 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Author Frontispiece, 

Captain  Cook 18 

Captain  Meares 28 

Launch  of  the  "N.-W.  America."     33 

Captain  Vancouver 50 

Sir  A.  Mackenzie 60 

Sir  George  Simpson 112 

Dr.  Dawson 133 

Sir  James  Douglas  (2nd  Governor).   134 

Roderick  Finlayson 143 

Fort  Victoria  (views) 160 

A.  C.  Anderson 176 

John  Tod  (Council) 183 

Richard  Blanshard  (1st  Governor).   189 

John  Muir  (Council) 191 

Nanaimo  (view,  1853) 192 

Chief  Justice  Cameron 201 

Chief  Justice  Begbie 202 

Captain  Cooper  (Council)    204 

Members  1st  Legislature  V.I.C. .  .   210 
Sir  Edward  Bulwer  (Lord)  Lytton  221 

Straits  of  San  Juan  de  Fuca 242 

Senator  W.  J.  Macdonald 245 

Chief  Factor  A.  J.  Dallas. 248 

Colonel  R.  Moody 294 

William  Duncan 303 

New  Parliament  Buildings   312 

Cary  Castle 333 

Governor  Kennedy  (3rd  V.I.C.). .   364 

Amor  de  Cosmos 366 

Dr.  Davie 385 

Governor  Seymour  (2nd  &  4th  B.C.)  386 
Governor  Musgrave  (5th  B.C.). . .   386 

Lieut.  -Governor  Trutch 405 

Hon.  J.  F.  McCreight    406 

Lieut. -Governor  Cornwall 407 

Sir  John  A.  Macdonald 408 

Marcus  Smith 409 

Sandford  Fleming 411 

Principal  Grant       413 

Hon.  Alex.  Mackenzie 419 

Hon.  Robert  Beaven 421 

George  A.  Walkem 424 

A.  C.  Elliott 424 

F.  G.  Vernon   425 

Lieut. -Governor  Richards 425 

Lord  Dufferin  (Governor) 428 

Sir  William  Van  Home 434 

Marquis  of  Lome  (Governor) 435 

The  Princess  Louise .   435 

Marquis  of  Lansdowne  (Governor).  437 

Group,  Driving  Last  Spike 438 

Hon.  John  Work 440 

Dr.  W.  F.  Tolmie 441 

Dugald  Mactavish 442 

Alexander  Grahame   443 

Captain  Irving,  M.  P.  P 449 

Steamer  "Islander  " 450 

Steamer  "  Empress  of  India" 451 


Steamer  ' '  Beaver  " 456 

Indian  Canoes 457 

Rev.  Bishop  Cridge 465 

Craigflower  School 466 

Dr.  Pope,  LL.D 470 

North  Ward  School,  Victoria 475 

South  Ward  School,  Victoria  ....   475 

View  of  Victoria,  1892 476 

Bishop  Demers 477 

Bishop  Lootens 478 

Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  (old) . .  481 
Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  (new)..  481 

Rev.  E.  Robson 486 

Rev.  Thomas  Crosby 487 

Duncan's  Indian  Church   488 

Duncan's  Indian  Band 489 

Methodist  Church,  Victoria  (old)..  490 
Methodist  Church,  Victoria  (Met.)  490 
Indian  Methodist  Church  .....  491 
Indian  Institute,  Coqualeetza. .  . .  491 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  Vic. . .  493 
Old  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Vic. . .  494 
New  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Vic. . .  497 

St.  Andrew's,  Vancouver 498 

Bishop  Hills 499 

St.  John's  (Iron  Church),  Victoria  500 

Christ  Church,  Victoria 500 

Indian  Village  and  Totems,  etc. . .  501 
Y.M.C.A.  Build'g,  New  Westmn'r  502 

Met-lah-kat-lah  Village 503 

Emmanuel  Baptist  Church 504 

Reformed  Episcopal  Church 505 

Lord  Stanley  (Governor) 509 

Lieut.  -Governor  Nelson 509 

Earl  of  Aberdeen  (Governor) 510 

Countess  of  Aberdeen  .    510 

Hotel  Vancouver 513 

First  Presbyt'n  Ch.,  Vancouver. .  518 
Homer  St.  Meth.  Ch.,  Vancouver.  518 

East  End  School,  Vancouver 520 

West  End  School,  Vancouver 520 

Central  School,  Vancouver 524 

High  School,  Vancouver 524 

Court  House,  Vancouver 526 

Harbor  of  Nanaimo ; 543 

J.  Rocke  Robertson 546 

A.  E.  B.  Davie 546 

Wm.  Smithe 547 

C.  E.  Pooley  (President  of  Council).  547 
J.  H.  Turner  (Min.  of  Finance). . .   548 

John  Robson 548 

Robert  Dunsmuir 548 

Colonel  Baker  (Min.  of  Education).  549 

Theodore  Davie  ( Premier) 549 

G.  B.  Martin  (Com.  Lands,  etc) ,  .   549 

D.  W.  Higgins  (Speaker) 550 

Lieut.  -Governor  E.  Uewdney  ....   550 

W.  F.  King 557 

Fruit  Cannery,  Victoria '  566 


INTRODUCTORY. 


1.  A  CONTINUOUS  HISTORY. — Although  many  valuable  and  interest- 
ing works  have  been  written  concerning  BRITISH  COLUMBIA,  or  NEW 
OALEDONIA,  as  a  portion  of  it  was  formerly  designated,  yet,  for  the 
most  part,  each  was  devoted  to  some  special  object,  and  did  not  furnish 
a  continuous  history  of  this  portion  of  the   British   Empire ;    so  it 
is,  that  up  to  the  present  no  work  has  been  published  which  furnishes 
a  consecutive,  comprehensive,  readable  history  of  the  country. 

2.  RISE  AND  PROGRESS. — To  provide  the  public  with  such  informa- 
tion is  the  object  of  the  present  undertaking.     It  proposes  to  place 
on  record  and  elucidate  to  a  certain  extent,  the  rise  and  progress  of 
British  Columbia  from  its  earliest  discovery  to  the  present  time.     To 
accomplish  this  in  a  manner  which  will  be  convenient  to  the  reading 
public,    events    will   be    arranged    in  chronological    periods.      These 
periods  for  reference  and  perspicuity,  will  be  divided  into  sub-divi- 
sions to  mark  epochs  as  they  occur,  and  to  point  out  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Province  from  its  former  condition  as  a  wilderness  to  its 
present  prosperous  state. 

3.  THE  PRE-HISTORIC  PERIOD. — Of  the  pre-historic  period,  that  is, 
prior  to  the  arrival  of  Captain  JAMES  COOK,  on  the  north-west  coast 
of  America,  little  need  be  said.     The  fact,  however,  is  well  estab- 
lished, that  when  Captain  Cook  and  other  early  navigators  visited 
the  shores  of  the  Pacific  in  this  latitude,  a  very  large  population  of 
aborigines  existed  on  the  coast.     Alexander  Mackenzie,  in  his  expedi- 
tion across  the  unexplored  portion  of  the  North  American  continent 
to  the  Pacific,  in  1793,  also  found  along  his  route  a  numerous  popu- 
lation in  the  interior.     But,  like  their  brethren  on  the  coast,  they  did 
not  possess  any  written  records.     Their  traditions  were  mythical; 
and,  though  carved  emblematically  on  totems  of  enduring  cedar  in 
their   villages    along   the    seaboard,   these  emblems    have    not   been 
deciphered  so  as  to  throw  any  light  on  the  origin  of  the  native  tribes. 


8  INTRODUCTORY. 

The  number  of  the  aborigines,  since  the  advent  of  traders  amongst 
them,  has  diminished  greatly,  and  continues  to  decrease  year  after 
year. 

4.  THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD. — The   second,   or    the   fur- trading 
period,  is  full  of   interest  and   importance,   whether  considered    in 
connection  with  sea  or  land.     It  may  be  said  to  extend  from  1778  to 
1858,  and  embraces  a  variety  of  subjects.     At  the  outset,  it  has  to 
deal  with  the  claims  of  Spain  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  whole  west  coast 
of  America,  from  Cape  Horn  to  the  sixtieth  degree  of  north  latitude, 
which  was  the  assumed  limit  of  Russian  occupation  on  the  Continent 
of  America.      The   Spaniards   in  Mexico   claimed   that   they  made 
a  voyage  of  exploration  north  from   Gil  Bias,  1774  or   1775,  when 
they  touched  at  three  points  on  the  coast.     The  most  northerly  was 
57°  18'  or  nearly  in  the  latitude  of  Sitka ;   the  next  mentioned  was 
47°  21',  which  is  south  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca  :  consequently  they  did 
not  land,  during  the  voyage,  on  any  portion  of   the  coast  which  is 
now  included  in  the  western  frontier  of  British  Columbia. 

5.  FRANCIS  DRAKE. — The  voyage  of  Francis  Drake  around  Cape 
Horn,  in   1579,  to  the  North  Pacific  Ocean,  is  so  apocryphal  in  its 
description  of  the  northern  limit  he  claims  to  have  reached,  that  it 
seems  very  doubtful  if  that  voyage  can,  in  any  way,  be  connected  with 
British  Columbian  history. 

6.  THE  FIRST  ARRIVAL  AT  NOOTKA. — Captain   COOK'S  voyage,  in 
1778,  therefore,  gives  the  earliest  authentic   record  of  the  discovery 
by  him  of  that  portion  of  the  west  coast  of  America  now  known  as 
Vancouver  Island.     He  landed  at   Nootka,  near  the  centre  of  the 
west  coast  of  the  island,  and  gave  the  place  of  his  landing  the  name 
which  it  still  retains.     After  Captain  Cook's  departure,  Nootka  con- 
tinued to  be  the  rendezvous  for  vessels  trading  on  the  west  coast. 

O 

7.  THE  SECOND  BRITISH  NAVIGATOR. —  Captain  JAMES  HANNA  is 
said  by  Meares,  in  his  narrative,  to  have  been  the  second  British 
navigator  who  arrived  at  Nootka.     He  sailed  from  China  in  1785, 
in  a  vessel  of  only  seventy  tons  burden,    which  was  equipped  by 
merchants  there  and  placed  under  his  command  with  a  crew  of  less 
than  thirty  men.     The  narrative  says,  they  "  set  sail  in  her  to  seek  the 
distant  coast  of  America ;  to  explore  its  coasts,  and  to  open  such  an 
intercourse  with  the  inhabitants  as  might  tend  to  a  future  commercial 
establishment  with  them."     On  his  arrival  at  Nootka,    "the  natives 
presuming  upon  the  inferior  size  of  the  vessel  and  the  limited  number 
of  her  crew,  made  a  desperate  attack  upon  her,  which  was  repulsed  by 


INTRODUCTORY.  & 

the  superior  bravery  and  good  conduct  of  their  new  visitors.  The 
hostilities  soon,  however,  ended  in  commercial  friendship,  and  a 
quantity  of  sea-otter  skins  was  obtained  from  them." 

8.  ANOTHER  TRADING  EXPEDITION. — Captain  JOHN   MEARES,  for- 
merly a  lieutenant  in  the  British  navy,  next  occupies  a  prominent 
and  important  position  in  the  early  history  of  British  Columbia.     He 
arrived  at  Nootka,  from  China,   on  a  trading  expedition,  in  1788. 
His  friendly  disposition  and  kind  treatment  of  the  natives  made  him 
a  great  favorite  with  them.     He  formed  a  settlement  at  Nootka,  and 
built  a  vessel  there.     Subsequently,  in  his  absence,  his  ships  were 
seized  by  order  of   the  Spanish  officer  who  had  arrived  and  taken 
possession  of  the  harbor,  and  had  destroyed  the  houses  built  by  him. 
The  treatment  which  he  had  received,  and  also  his   losses,  Captain 
Meares  represented  to  the  British  Government,  who  promptly  inter- 
fered in  the  matter  both  for  the  protection  of  their  subjects,  and  to 
uphold  the  honor  of  the  British  flag. 

9.  THE    GREAT   NAVIGATOR. — Captain   GEORGE   VANCOUVER   was 
appointed    by   the    British    Admiralty  to   proceed    to    Nootka   and 
ascertain  the  amount  of  losses  which  had  been  sustained  by  Captain 
Meares,  and  the  indemnification  due  to  the  owners  of  the  vessels 
which  had  beeen  seized  by  Spain.     The  result  was  that  soon  after 
Vancouver's  arrival  at  Nootka,  in  1792,  the  Spanish  fleet  withdrew, 
and  the  difficulty  was  settled  by  arbitration  between  the  courts  of 
Great  Britain   and    Spain.     That   decision   secured   to   the    British 
Crown  all  the  north-west  coast  from  what  was  known  as  California 
to  the  Russian  trading-posts  in  Alaska. 

10.  ROUTE  TO  THE  PACIFIC. — In  1793,  ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE,  a 
partner   in   the  North- West    Company,  commenced   his  memorable 
journey.     Starting  from  Lake  Athabaska,  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, at  the  most  westerly  station  then  belonging  to  the  Company,  he 
traversed  the  unknown  region  westward  across  the  Continent,  thereby 
pointing  out  the  future  route  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  earning  for 
himself  undying  fame. 

11.  THE  NORTH-WEST  COMPANY.  —  Soon   afterwards    the   North- 
West  Company  followed  up  Mackenzie's  explorations.     They  opened 
trails,  built  and  established  forts  in  the  interior  of  that  vast  region, 
which  was  then  named    "New  Caledonia."     They  traced  the  great 
rivers  of  the  Pacific  slope — the  Fraser,  and  the  Thompson,  one  of  its 
principal  affluents,  and  also  the  Columbia  River — from  their  sources 
to  their  outlets  at  the  ocean.      They  advanced  along  the  Columbia 


10  INTRODUCTORY. 

River  and  made  their  headquarters  at  Astoria  (afterwards  Fort 
George),  which  was  continued  as  such  until  1824,  when  Fort  Van- 
couver was  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  Columbia  River, -nearly 
opposite  the  southern  end  of  Puget  Sound.  Astoria,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia  River,  remained  as  an  outpost  whence  goods  and  furs 
were  conveyed  along  the  Columbia  to  the  interior  and  Montreal. 

12.  UNION  OF  THE  FUR  COMPANIES. — An  immense  trade  was  thus 
established  and  carried  on  in   New  Caledonia  by  the  North- West 
Company.     In  1821,  the  North- West  Company  and  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  amalgamated.     By  so  doing  they  extended  and  made  more 
profitable  the  trade  that  had  been  carried  on  by  them  at  some  points 
at  a  loss,  under  the  keen  rivalry  which  had  existed.     The  consoli- 
dated companies  retained  the  name  of  "  The  Hudson  Bay  Company." 

13.  LEASE  OF  ALASKA. — Nothing  transpired  after  the  union  of  the 
companies  to  disturb  the  traders   or  hinder  their  prosperity,  until 
about  the  year  1839,  when  settlers  began  to  arrive  in  Oregon  from 
the  older  portions  of  the  United  States.     About  this  time,  also,  a 
portion  of  the  Alaskan   coast  was  leased  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany from  the  Russian  Government.     The  terms  were  stipulated  at 
an  annual   rental  of  $2,000,  and  were  concluded  during   a  conference 
at  Sitka,  between  the  Company's  chief  factor,  JAMES  DOUGLAS,  and 
ETHOLIN,  the  Russian  governor. 

14.  OREGON  TREATY. — Doubts  now  existed  as  to  where  the  dividing 
line  separating  the   United  States  from  British  territory  would  be 
located,  as  formerly  the  northern  portion  of  Oregon  territory  had 
been  held  in  common  by  traders  of  both  countries.     It  was,  there- 
fore, thought  prudent  to  prepare  for  the  removal  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's   headquarters   on  the   Columbia  River,  to  a  site   on  the 
seaboard  in  British  territory.     After  full  examination   and  careful 
deliberation,   Mr.    Douglas  decided  to  choose  the  site   at  CAMOSUN, 
where  the  city  of  Victoria  now  stands.     That   place   was  selected  on 
account  of  its  convenient  position  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  as  well  as  for 
the  ease  with  which  it  could  be  reached  from  trading-posts  on  the 
mainland. 

15.  FORT  VICTORIA  COMMENCED. — The  erection  of  a  fort  was  decided 
on,  the  building  of  which  was  commenced  in  1843.     A  palisaded 
enclosure,  one  hundred  yards  square,  in  which  were  eight  log  houses, 
bastions,  etc.,   was    completed,   ready    for    occupation    and    defence, 
within  seven  months  of  the  date  of  the  commencement  of  laying  out 
the  grounds.      The  name   "Carnosuii"  was  continued    until    1846, 


INTRODUCTORY.  11 

when  it  was  changed  to  Victoria.  Since  the  settlement  at  Nootka, 
in  1788,  by  Captain  Meares,  the  natives  had  remained  in  undisturbed 
possession  until  this  time. 

16.  THE  FIRST  OFFICER  ix   CHARGE. — Fort  Victoria  was,  on  its 
completion   in  1843,  placed   in  charge  of  Charles  Ross,  who  died  in 
1844.    He  was  succeeded  by  Roderick  Finlayson,  who  had  been  second 
officer  in  the  fort  since  the  commencement  of  its  building,  and  who 
remained  in  command  until  1849.    At  this  time  the  Company's  head- 
quarters were  removed  from  Fort  Vancouver  to  Fort  Victoria,  and 
Factor  Douglas  assumed   command.     He  was  accompanied  by  Chief 
Factor    Ogden    from   Fort  Vancouver.     Mr.    Dugald   McTavish  re- 
mained at   Fort  Vancouver  to  look   after  the  Company's   extensive 
stock-raising  and  farming  interests  in  the  Columbia   District  and  on 
Puget  Sound. 

17.  GOLD  DISCOVERIKS. — Attention  having  been  drawn  to  the  pro- 
gress of  settlement  in  Oregon,  it  was  considered  proper  that  the  British 
possessions  to  the  north  of  that  territory  should  have  similar  advan- 
tages.    The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in  1848  strengthened  the 
opinion  in  Great  Britain  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  the  Pacific 
coast  and  New  Caledonia  should  become  more  than  a  mere  fur-hunt- 
ing preserve.     To  promote   settlement,  a  grant  of  the  whole  of   Van- 
couver Island  was  made  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  on   certain 
conditions.       The   Company  withdrew   its  trading-posts  from  Sitka 
and  other  places  on  the  north   coast   except  Fort   Simpson.       The 
fur-trading  period  was  evidently  drawing  to  a  close. 

18.  CROWN  COLONY  FORMED. — The  third — "The  colonial  period" — 
dates  from  1849.     In  that  year  Vancouver  Island  was  constituted  a 
Crown  Colony   by  the  appointment  of  RICHARD   BLANSHARD  to  the 
Governorship.     He  arrived   at  Victoria,  from  England,  via  Panama, 
in  1850  ;  but  not  finding  the  position  what  he  expected,  he  returned 
the  next  year  to  London.      He  was  succeeded  by  JAMES  DOUGLAS,  in 
1851.     Governor  Douglas  retained   his  then  position  of  Chief  Factor 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.     At  the  time   of  his   appointment  as 
Governor  of  the  Colony  of  Vancouver  Island,  he   was  raised  to   the 
dignity  of  "  C.B." 

19.  COLONIZATION  AND  SETTLEMENT. — Representative  government 
was  introduced  into  the  colony  in   1856.     Colonization  and  settle- 
ment made  slow   progress.     Roads,  however,  were  constructed  and 
surveys  extended  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  people  who  arrived 
in  connection  with  the  gold  discoveries  on  Fraser  River,  and  remained 


12  INTRODUCTORY. 

on  the  Island ;  but  as  the  mainland  was  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island,  it  was  found  necessary  to  constitute 
that  immense  territory  into  an  independent  colony. 

20.  A  SECOND  CROWN  COLONY. — This  was  accomplished  in  1858. 
The  governorship  of  the  new  colony  was  vested  in  Governor  Douglas, 
and  added    to    that  of    Vancouver    Island.      NEW   CALEDONIA  was 
merged  into  BRITISH  COLUMBIA,  by  which  designation   the  mainland 
was  thereafter  to  be  known. 

21.  NEW  CALEDONIA. — The  boundaries  of  New  Caledonia  formerly 
included  the  whole  region  from  Peace  River  and   the   Rocky  Moun- 
tains to  the  Pacific  Ocean.     Its  southern  boundary  was  reckoned  to 
be  the  Columbia  River  from   the  outlet  of  that  river  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  following  its   course   eastward  to  Fort  Colville  ;  thence  along 
the   Kootenay  and  Flathead  Rivers,  embracing  Tobacco  Plains,   to 
the  Kootenay  pass  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.      Its  northern  boundary 
was  not  defined,    but  reached  to   the  Russian  possessions    on    the 
north-west. 

22.  BRITISH  COLUMBIA  BOUNDARIES  DEFINED. — The  Imperial  pro- 
clamation dated  2nd  August,  1858,  which  constituted  British  Colum- 
bia a  colony,  defined  that  it  should  be  bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
frontier  of  the  United  States  of  America ;  to  the   east  by  the  main 
chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  to  the  north  by  Simpson  River  and 
the  Finlay  branch   of  Peace  River ;  and  to  the  west  by  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  including  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  but  no  part  of  the   colony 
of  Vancouver  Island. 

An  Imperial  Act  was  passed  in  1863  to  define  more  particularly 
the  boundaries  of  the  colony  of  British  Columbia,  specifying  the 
western  boundary  to  be  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  frontier  of  the 
Russian  territories  in  North  America ;  the  north  to  be  the  sixtieth 
parallel  of  latitude;  and  the  east,  the  120th  meridian  of  west 
longitude  and  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

23.  GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  RETIRES. — GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  having  in 
1863   expressed  a  desire  to  retire  from  public  life,  and  his  term  of 
office    terminating  in   1864,   was  rewarded    with   the  distinction    of 
knighthood,    by   the   Crown,    for  his    services.     CAPTAIN    KENNEDY 
succeeded    him    as    Governor   of    Vancouver    Island,    and    retained 
that  office  until  the  union  of  the  two  colonies  in  1866. 

24.  UNION  OF  THE  COLONIES,    1866.  — In    1864,   Mr.    FREDERICK 
SEYMOUR   was   appointed    by   the    Imperial    authorities   to   succeed 
Governor  Douglas  as  Governor  of  British  Columbia,  which  position 


INTRODUCTORY.  13 

he  occupied  until  the  union  of  the  colonies  in  1866.  Thereafter  Mr. 
Seymour  continued  as  Governor  of  the  United  Colonies  until  his  death 
in  1869. 

25.  THE  ROYAL  CITY. — The  site  of  the  present  city  of  New  West- 
minster was  proclaimed  the  capital  of  the  colony  of  British  Columbia 
in  1859,  but  after  the  union  of  the  colonies,  a  proclamation  dated 
May   25th,   1868,  declared  the  city  of  Victoria  to  be  the   seat  of 
government. 

26.  VICTORIA    SURVEYED.  —  Between    the  years   1859    and   1866, 
marked   progress   was  made    in   and    around    the  city  of   Victoria. 
Building  operations  and  improvements  were  carried  on  everywhere. 
In   1852,   the   town   was    surveyed    and   laid   out   into    streets;  its 
boundaries  then  being  the  harbor  on  the  west,  the  present  Govern- 
ment Street  on  the  east,  Johnson  Street  on   the  north,  and  Fort 
Street  on  the  south.     In  1862,  it  is  estimated  that  at  least  1,500 
substantial  buildings  had  been  erected,  where  but  two  or  three  years 
previously  the  forest  had  stood.     That  same  year  the  city  was  incor- 
porated,  with  a  white  population  of  over  3,500.     In   1863,  it  had 
increased  to   6,000,   exclusive  of  the  large   number  of  miners  who 
made  it  their  winter  headquarters. 

27.  THE  BEAUTIES  OF  VICTORIA. — A  prize  essay  on  the  resources 
and  capabilities  of  Vancouver  Island,  by  Charles  Forbes,  Esq.,  M.D., 
a  surgeon  on  one  of  the  ships  of  the  navy  at  Esquirnalt,  was  published 
by  the  Government  in  1862.     It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  quote 
his  description  of  the  neighborhood  of  Victoria  as  it  appears  in  that 
publication.     It  reads  : 

"  On  a  clear,  crisp,  autumnal  or  spring  morning,  from  the  northern 
side,  a  beautiful  and  interesting  scene  meets  the  beholder's  eye. 
Immediately  before,  and  somewhat  below,  him,  lies  the  town  in 
repose,  the  only  evidence  of  life  the  thin  blue  smoke  which,  from 
numerous  hearths,  floats  upwards  in  the  motionless  air.  The  group- 
ing of  the  houses,  with  the  tone  of  the  coloring  that  prevails,  is 
most  pleasing.  In  the  first  faint  light  of  the  morning,  the  various 
styles  of  architecture  assume  fantastic  shapes,  pointed  gables  and 
ornamented  roofs  standing  out  clear  and  sharp ;  the  shadows  dark 
neutral,  the  lights  cool  grey,  the  whole  warmed  by  the  depth  of 
color  of  the  brick  houses  and  other  edifices.  Away  on  the  left,  in 
the  east,  Mount  Baker  and  the  Cascade  Range  have  caught  the 
sun's  first  rays,  and  a  blush  of  pearly  light  is  stealing  over  the 
heavens.  The  sea,  still  and  unruffled,  stretches  over  to  the  foot  of 
1 


14  INTRODUCTORY. 

the  great  Olympian  range,  which,  clear  and  defined  against  the 
southern  sky,  stretches  its  massive  dark  blue  length  along,  and  far 
on  the  right,  where  hang  the  heavy  clouds,  night  is  gathering  his 
mantle  around  him,  and  is  disappearing  in  the  west. 

28 "As  the  day  passes  on,  and  the  sun  approaches 

the  zenith,  the  same  clear,  fresh  air  plays  around,  and  an  elasticity  of 
mind  and  body  is  felt  by  all.  The  character  of  the  scene  has  changed, 
however  :  a  busy  hum  fills  the  air,  and  man  is  at  his  daily  toil.  The 
sea  is  like  a  mirror ;  numerous  tiny  craft,  with  drooping  sails,  dot  its 
surface,  and  seem  at  the  same  time  suspended  in  the  air  by  the 
refraction  which  elevates  and  brings  into  view  the  cliffs  at  Dunge- 
ness,  reminding  the  observer  of  the  chalk  cliffs  of  old  England. 

29.  GLORIOUS    LIGHT    AND    SHADE.      "  The  mountain  range    has 
become  a   cloud;    stretched  along  midway  are  lengthened  lines  of 
strati,  drawn  clear  and  sharp  against  the  heavy  dark  blue  mass,  while, 
piled  heap  upon  heap,  resting  on  the  lofty  summits,  are  masses  of 
cumuli  and  cumuloni,  seeming  fit  abode  for  the  Olympian  Jove.     As 
the  sun  goes  west,  cirri  and  cirro-strati  begin  to  float  off  into  the  upper 
air,  and  before  the  warm  westerly  breeze  the  wondrous  cloud  dis- 
appears ;  the  light  is  reflected  in  sparkling  rays  from  the  waters  of 
the  winding  reaches  of  the  upper  harbor ;  the  shadows  become  purple, 
and  in  the  pine  woods,  black.     The  whole  sky  on  the  right  is  one 
blaze  of  crimson  and  deep  orange  hues ;  and  as  the  sun  sinks  in  the 
western  ocean,  he  pours   a   flood   of  yellow  light  along  the  narrow 
strait,    such   as   Turner   would    have    loved    to    paint ;    touches   the 
Olympian  peaks  with  a  rosy  hue,  and  resting  for  a  moment  on  the 
summit  of  the  tower  on  the  Race  Rocks,  with  a  golden  gleam,  seems 
there  to  leave  '  the  flashing  light,'  the  seaman's  safeguard  against  the 
dangers  of  the  night." 

30.  OTHER  CITIES  INLAND. — It  need  not  be  supposed  that  VICTORIA 
is  the  only  city  in  British  Columbia  which  possesses  beautiful  natural 
scenery.     The  other  cities  which  have  sprung  into  existence  since  the 
foregoing  description  was  written,  also  have  delightful   scenic   sur- 
roundings.    The  Royal  City — NEW  WESTMINSTER — has  a  charming 
situation.     On  the  south-eastern  horizon,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
Mount  Baker  looms  up  in  majestic  grandeur  to  a  height  of  nearly 
eleven  thousand  feet.     Illuminated  by  the  first  rays  of  the  morning 
sun,  its  silvery  top  is  burnished  with  gold.     Almost  at  the  feet  of  the 
beholder    flows    the    great    Fraser    River,    abounding    with    several 
varieties  of  the  best  salmon,  losing  itself  towards  the  right  in  the 


INTRODUCTORY.  15 

fertile  delta,  past  Lulu  Island.  Looking  up  the  river  from  classic 
Sapperton,  the  primitive  camp  of  the  Royal  Engineers  in  early  days, 
under  Colonel  Moody,  the  view  is  superb.  On  the  left  the  "  golden 
ears,"  and  the  massive  "shoulders"  of  the  coast  range  delight  the  gaze 
of  the  enraptured  visitor. 

31.  THE  COAL  MINES. — The  BLACK  DIAMOND  CITY  (so  named  owing 
to  its  extensive  coal  mines) — NANAIMO — has  many  beautiful  views- 
Built  partly  on  a  rugged  promontory,  it  nestles  in  the  bosom  of  a 
spacious  bay,  which  is  dotted  with  islands  covered  with  verdure  and 
evergreens  to  the  water's  edge.     Its  harbor  is  ample,  and  with  its 
ships,  shipping  appliances,  chutes  and  tramways  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  coal  trade,  presents  an  interesting  picture  of  enterprise, 
industry  and  prosperity.     In  the  back-ground,  the  Island  range  of 
mountains  stands  out  in  sufficient  relief  to  give  pleasing  effect  to 
that  appearance  of  comfort  and  repose  which  seemingly  belong  to  the 
city. 

32.  VANCOUVER — the  terminal  city  of  the  great  Canadian  trans- 
continental  railway — although  not  ,yet  in  her  teens,  can,   as  well 
as  her  older  sisters,  boast  of  a  panorama  of  great  beauty.     Towering 
mountains  and  peaks  flank  her  spacious  harbor  and  inlet.     Neither 
have  local  adornments  and  improvements  been  neglected.     Her  parks 
and   public   buildings   are  most  attractive,   and  are  appreciated  by 
travellers  and  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

33.  KAMLOOPS,    and    other    rising    cities   in   the   interior   of    the 
Province,  have  their  special  natural  attractions  which  require  only 
to  be  seen  to  be  admired.     In  fact,  British  Columbia  may  be  termed 
a  "land  of  mountain  and  of  flood" — similar  in  that  respect  to  the 
mother, — "Caledonia  stern  and  wild." 

34.  THE  LAST  OF  THE  COLONIAL  GOVERNORS. — ANTHONY  MUSGRAVE 
succeeded  GOVERNOR  SEYMOUR  in  1869,  and  occupied  the  position  of 
Governor  until  1871,  when  British  Columbia  became  an  integral  part 
of  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 

35.  WHAT  COMES    AFTERWARDS?— The   warm,   able    and   lengthy 
debates  which  immediately   preceded  the  confederation   of   British 
Columbia  with  Canada,  together  with  the  events  which  have  occurred 
since  showing  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  Province,  will  in  due 
course  be  referred  to  in  THE  CONFEDERATION  PERIOD. 


History  of  British  Columbia. 


SECTION  I. 

EARLY   DISCOVERIES 


CHAPTER  I. 

COOK'S  THIRD  VOYAGE. — There  are  no  other  authentic  records 
available  for  reference,  regarding  discoveries  by  Europeans  or  occu- 
pation by  them,  on  that  portion  of  the  coast  of  North  America  which 
now  forms  the  western  frontier  of  Canada,  until  Captain  Cook's  third 
voyage,  which  dates  from  1776. 

FOR  THE  BENEFIT  OF  MANKIND. — The  expedition  for  that  voyage 
was  fitted  out  by  the  British  Admiralty,  to  continue  the  efforts  which 
had  been  made  by  the  Government  of  Great  Britain  to  add  to  the 
knowledge  already  attained  in  science,  navigation,  geography,  and  the 
intercourse  of  mankind  with  each  other.  It  consisted  of  the  ships 
Resolution,  of  462  tons  burden,  and  112  men  under  Captain  JAMES 
COOK,  and  the  Discovery,  of  300  tons  burden  and  80  men,  under 
Captain  CHARLES  CLERKE. 

His  COMMISSION  AND  INSTRUCTIONS. — Captain  Cook  received  his 
commission  to  command  the  expedition  on  the  9th  of  February,  1776. 
His  instructions  were  to  proceed  to  the  Pacific  via  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  touching  at  Otaheite  and  the  Society  Islands,  and  to  commence 
his  researches  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America,  in  latitude  65°; 
and  not  to  lose  time  in  exploring  inlets  or  rivers  until  he  reached 
that  latitude.  The  Resolution  was  not  ready  to  sail  from  England 
until  the  llth  of  July.  The  Discovery  sailed  on  the  1st  of  August, 
and  overtook  the  Resolution  at  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  10th  of 
November. 


18 


HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


COOK'S  SECOND  VOYAGE. — Captain  Cook 
had  only  returned  in  July,  1775,  from  his 
second  voyage  in  the  southern  seas,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  exploring  the  Antarctic 
regions  and  circumnavigating  New  Zealand. 
This  work  occupied  three  years  and  eighteen 
days.  His  success  during  that  voyage  was 
such  that  it  is  recorded  that  no  expedition 
fitted  out  for  the  purpose  of  maritime  dis- 
covery, had  ever  equalled  that  from  which 
he  had  just  returned,  in  the  magnitude 
and  arduous  nature  of  its  peculiar  object. 
The  Earl  of  Sandwich,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  Admiralty,  was 
disposed  to  reward  liberally  one  whose  courage  and  skill  had  so  well 
justified  the  expectations  of  those  who  had  patronized  the  under- 
taking. 

His  SERVICES  APPRECIATED. — Cook  was  immediately  raised  to  the 
rank  of  post-captain,  and  obtained  a  more  substantial  mark  of  favor, 
being  appointed  one  of  the  captains  of  Greenwich  Hospital,  which 
afforded  him  a  liberal  maintenance  and  repose  from  his  professional 
labors.  He  was  also  elected  a  fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  and 
received  the  Society's  medal  for  having  performed  the  voyage  just 
concluded  with  a  company  of  118  men,  throughout  all  the  climates, 
from  latitude  52°  N.  to  71°  S.,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  man  by 
sickness. 

REWARD  OF  £20,000. — A  special  object  was  in  view  by  the 
Admiralty  at  this  time  relative  to  the  plan  to  be  adopted  in  this 
expedition,  and  as  to  who  should  be  the  commander.  The  hope  of 
finding  a  north-west  passage  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans 
had  not  been  abandoned.  The  Act  of  Parliament  which  had  been 
passed  in  1745,  securing  a  reward  of  £20,000  to  any  of  his  Majesty's 
ships  or  subjects  who  should  make  the  proposed  discovery,  at  first 
only  referred  to  ships  passing  through  Hudson  Bay,  but  had  been 
amended  to  apply  to  ships  passing  in  any  direction.  Consultations 
were  held  by  Lord  Sandwich  with  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  and  other 
experienced  officers  relative  to  the  matter.  Captain  Cook,  they 
admitted,  had  earned  by  his  eminent  services  the  privilege  of  honor- 
able repose,  and  no  one  thought  of  imposing  on  him  foi;  the  third 
time,  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  a  voyage  of  discovery  round  the 
world;  i>ut  being  invited  to  dine  with  Lord  Sandwich,  in  order  that 


EARLY    DISCOVERIES.  19 

he  might  lend  the  light  of  his  valuable  experience  to  the  various 
particulars  under  discussion,  he  was  so  iired  with  the  observations 
that  were  made,  that  he  voluntarily  offered  to  take  the  command  of 
it  himself. 

REACHED  NOOTKA,  MARCH,  1778.— Owing  to  great  delay  in  visiting 
several  South  Sea  islands,  including  Van  Diemen's  Land,  New  Zealand, 
€tc.,  and  leaving  sheep,  goats,  and  pigs  on  them  for  breeding  purposes, 
Captain  Cook  did  not  reach  the  north-west  coast  of  America  until  the 
7th  of  March,  1778,  when  land  was  seen  from  seventy  to  eighty 
miles  distant,  in  latitude  44°  33'  N.,  and  longitude  235°  20'  E.  (Sic.) 
The  previous  day  two  sails  and  several  whales  were  seen.  Stormy 
weather  made  it  necessary  to  stand  to  sea,  and  run  southward  to 
latitude  42°  45'.  Calms  and  storms  tossed  the  mariners  about  until 
the  29th  of  March,  when  the  Resolution  anchored  in  Hope  Bay, 
Nootka.  The  Discovery  also  arrived  and  anchored  there  the  same 
day. 

SPEECHES  AND  SONGS. — Canoes  with  natives  soon  gathered  round 
the  ships  to  the  number  of  thirty-two,  carrying  from  three  to  seven 
persons  each,  men  and  women.  Their  leaders  made  long  speeches, 
but  as  not  a  word  of  them  was  understood,  they  soon  ceased.  One 
sung  a  very  agreeable  air  with  a  degree  of  melody  which  was  not 
expected.  Although  seemingly  not  afraid,  none  of  them  could  be 
induced  to  come  on  board  the  ships.  A  group  of  about  a  dozen  of 
the  canoes  remained  alongside  the  Resolution  the  greater  part  of  the 
night. 

LIEUTENANT  JAMES  KING. — Next  day  Captain  Cook  sent  out  three 
armed  boats,  under  the  command  of  his  lieutenant,  Mr.  James  King, 
to  search  for  a  commodious  harbor.  A  snug  cove  was  found  into 
which  the  ships  were  removed.  On  the  day  following  they  were 
moored,  head  and  stern,  fastening  the  hawsers  to  the  trees  on  shore, 
and  carpenters  were  set  to  work  to  make  such  repairs  as  were 
necessary. 

FIVE  HUNDRED  VISITORS. — The  fame  of  the  arrival  of  the  ships 
brought  a  great  concourse  of  natives  to  see  them.  At  one  time  there 
were  about  one  hundred  canoes,  which  were  supposed  to  contain  an 
average  of  five  persons  each,  for  few  of  them  had  less  than  three  on 
board;  many  had  seven,  eight  or  nine,  and  one  was  manned  with 
seventeen.  Amongst  the  visitors  were  many  who  had  arrived  for  the 
lirst  time,  as  was  judged  from  their  orations  and  ceremonies  as  they 
approached  the  ships. 


20  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

ARTICLES  FOR  SALE  AND  BARTER. — The  distrust  or  fear  which  they 
showed  at  first  was  soon  laid  aside.  They  came  on  board  the  ships 
and  mixed  amongst  the  sailors  with  the  greatest  of  freedom.  It  was 
soon  discovered  that  they  were  expert  thieves.  In  trade,  however,  they 
were  strictly  honest.  The  articles  which  they  offered  for  sale  or 
barter  were  the  skins  of  bears,  wolves,  foxes,  deer,  raccoons,  polecats, 
martins,  and  in  particular  the  sea-otters.  The  narrative  of  the  voyage 
states,  that  "  besides  the  skins  in  their  native  state,  they  also  brought 
garments  made  of  them,  and  another  sort  of  clothing  made  of  the 
bark  of  a  tree  or  some  plant  like  hemp ;  weapons,  such  as  bows, 
arrows  and  speai-s,  pieces  of  carved  work,  beads  and  several  other 
little  ornaments  of  thin  brass  and  iron,  shaped  like  a  horseshoe, 
which  they  hang  at  their  noses.  But  the  most  extraordinary  of  all 
the  articles  which  they  brought  to  the  ships  for  sale  were  human 
skulls  and  hands,  not  yet  quite  stripped  of  the  flesh,  which  they  made 
our  people  plainly  understand  they  had  eaten ;  and,  indeed,  some  of 
them  had  evident  marks  that  they  had  been  upon  the  fire." 

VISIT  TO  A  NATIVE  VILLAGE. — For  a  fortnight  the  weather  con- 
tinued stormy.  By  the  19th  of  April,  however,  the  top-masts,  yard 
and  rigging  were  again  up.  Next  day  being  fair,  a  visit  was  made 
by  Captain  Cook  and  a  party  to  the  village  at  the  west  point  of  the 
sound.  They  found  the  people  numerous  and  courteous.  The  houses 
were  large,  each  containing  several  families.  The  methods  of  curing 
and  drying  fish  were  explained,  mats  were  spread  for  the  party  to  sit 
on,  and  every  mark  of  civility  shown.  The  party  next  proceeded  up 
the  west  side  of  the  sound  for  two  miles,  by  an  arm  of  the  sea. 

A  SURLY  CHIEF. — A  mile  farther  they  found  the  remains  of  a 
deserted  village.  From  that  point  they  crossed  to  the  east  side  of  the 
sound  and  landed  at  another  village.  There  they  met  with  rather  a 
cold  reception.  The  surly  chief  did  not  wish  them  to  enter  the 
houses.  Presents  were  offered  to  him  which  he  took,  but  they  did 
not  have  much  effect  in  changing  his  behavior.  The  young  women 
of  the  village,  'however,  showed  more  hospitality.  They  dressed 
themselves,  the  narrator  relates,  "expeditiously,  in  their  best  apparel, 
and  welcomed  us  by  joining  in  a  song  which  was  far  from  harsh  or 
disagreeable." 

FRESH  ARRIVALS — INTRODUCTORY  CEREMONIES. — Repairs  on  the 
vessels  were  now  nearly  completed.  By  the  21st  the  mizzen-masf  was 
finished  and  in  its  place  and  rigged.  The  following  day  some  ten  or 
twelve  canoes  arrived  from  the  southward.  At  about  two  hundred 


EARLY   DISCOVERIES.  21 

yards  from  the  ship  they  remained  for  about  half  an  hour  preparing  for 
their  introductory  ceremony.  They  then  advanced  standing  in  their 
oanoes  and  began  to  sing,  accompanying  their  notes  with  the  most 
regular  motion  of  their  hands,  or  beating  in  concert  with  their 
paddles  on  the  sides  of  the  canoes,  and  making  other  very  expressive 
gestures.  Some  of  their  songs  were  slow,  others  in  quicker  time. 
At  the  end  of  each  song  they  remained  silent  for  some  time  and 
ceased  paddling,  then  again  commencing  they  generally  concluded  by 
forcibly  pronouncing  the  word  "  hooee ! "  as  a  chorus.  This  pro- 
gramme continued  for  over  half  an  hour,  when  they  came  alongside 
the  ships  and  bartered  what  they  had  to  dispose  of. 

APPEARANCE  OF  THK  NATIVES. — The  natives  are  described  as  "  in 
general  under  the  common  stature,  but  not  slender  in  proportion, 
being  commonly  pretty  full  or  plump  though  not  muscular.  Both 
men  and  women  are  so  encrusted  with  paint  and  dirt  that  their 
color  could  not  positively  be  determined.  The  children,  whose  skins 
have  never  been  stained  by  paint  or  discolored  by  smoke,  are  nearly 
as  fair  as  Europeans.  Their  dress,  made  of  mats  and  skins,  is,  upon 
the  whole,  convenient,  and  would  by  no  means  be  inelegant  were  it 
kept  clean;  but  as  they  rub  their  bodies  over  constantly  with  a  red 
paint  of  a  coarse  ochrey  or  clayey  substance,  their  garments  contract 
a  rancid,  offensive  smell,  and  a  greasy  nastiness,  so  that  they  make  a 
very  wretched  dirty  appearance."  During  Captain  Cook's  stay  at 
Nootka,  the  weather  continued  more  or  less  stormy;  yet  he  and  his 
officers  made  several  excursions  to  various  parts  of  the  Sound,  but 
only  found  two  villages.  Judging  from  the  canoes  seen  around  the 
ships,  and  other  observations,  he  computed  the  inhabitants  to  number 
two  thousand. 

PARTING  TOKENS  OF  FRIENDSHIP. — Being  ready  for  sea  on  the 
26th  of  April,  although  the  barometer  was  low,  the  moorings  were 
cast  off,  the  boats  towed  the  ships  out  of  the  cove,  attended  by  a  large 
number  of  the  natives,  some  on  board  and  others  in  their  canoes. 
One  of  the  chiefs  who  had,  some  time  before,  become  attached  to 
Captain  Cook,  was  about  the  last  to  leave  the  ship.  In  return  for  a 
small  present  given  him,  he  gave  a  beaver  skin  of  much  greater  value. 
Captain  Cook  made  another  small  present  to  the  chief,  which  pleased 
him  so  much  that  he  insisted  in  giving  in  return  the  beaver  skin 
cloak  which  he  then  wore.  The  narrator  states  :  "  Struck  with  this 
generosity,  and  desirous  that  he  should  be  no  sufferer  by  his 
friendship  to  me,  I  presented  to  him  a  new  broadsword,  with  a  brass 


22  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

hilt,  the  possession  of  which  made  him  completely  happy.  He  also, 
and  many  of  his  countrymen,  importuned  us  to  pay  them  another 
visit,  and  by  way  of  encouragement  promised  to  lay  in  a  good  stock 
of  skins.  I  make  no  doubt  that  whoever  comes  to  this  place  will  tind 
the  natives  prepared  with  no  inconsiderable  supply  of  an  article  of 
trade  which  they  could  .observe  we  were  eager  to  possess,  and  which 
we  found  could  be  purchased  to  great  advantage."  Thus  was  the 
foundation  of  the  fur  trade  on  the  west  coast  laid  in  the  most 
harmonious  manner. 

THE  VOYAOK  NORTHWARDS. — No  sooner  had  the  expedition  left 
Nootka  Sound  than  a  gale  sprung  up.  The  storm  continuing,  they 
were  obliged  to  bear  away  from  the  land  northwesterly.  Rough  and 
hazy  weather  prevented  them  from  again  seeing  land  until  the  1st  of 
May.  Kaye's  island  was  reached,  latitude  60°,  on  the  10th,  where 
Captain  Cook  landed,  and  states  that  "  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  on  a  little 
eminence,  not  far  from  the  shore,  he  left  a  bottle  with  a  paper  in 
it,  on  which  were  inscribed  the  names  of  the  ships  and  the  date  of 
the  discovery,  along  with  two  silver  twopenny  pieces  of  his  Majesty's 
coin  of  the  date  1772."  From  this  point  many  landings  and  surveys 
were  made  by  Lieutenant  Gore,  Mr.  Roberts,  one  of  the  mates,  and 
Surgeon  Anderson,  who  attended  to  the  scientific  portion  of  the 
explorations.  The  intervening  time,  until  August,  was  occupied  in 
this  work.  Along  the  coast  they  found  many  native  villages.  The 
inhabitants  generally  were  well  disposed  and  willing  to  enter  into 
trade,  but  required  continual  watching  to  keep  in  check  their  thieving 
propensities. 

A  DIFFERENT  TYPE  OF  NATIVES. — In  Prince  William  Sound  the 
natives  were  found  in  dress,  language  and  physical  peculiarities, 
similar  to  the  Esquimaux  of  Hudson  Bay.  Their  canoes  were  not 
constructed  out  of  one  portion  or  trunk  of  a  tree  as  at  Nootka,  the 
frame  only  being  slender  strips  of  wood,  skins  of  seals  or  other 
animals,  like  the  "oomyaks,"  or  women's  canoes  of  the  Greenlanders, 
as  described  by  the  late  Dr.  Rae,  of  Arctic  renown.  The  most 
westerly  coast  of  the  American  continent  was  reached  on  the  9th 
August,  distant  only  about  seventy  miles  from  the  opposite  shores 
of  Asia.  To  this  headland  was  given  the  name  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales. 

THE  ASIATIC  COAST.— Crossing  the  strait  to  the  western  shores, 
Captain  Cook  anchored  near  the  coast,  which  he  found  to  extend 
many  degrees  farther  to  the  east  than  the  position  assigned  hi 


EARLY   DISCOVERIES.  23 

the  maps  of  that  day.  He  thus  ascertained  distinctly  the  width 
of  the  strait  which  separates  Asia  from  America;  for  though  Behring 
had  sailed  through  it  before,  he  had  not,  owing  to  thick  weather, 
seen  the  shores  of  the  latter  continent  at  that  time. 

AMONG  THE  WALRUSES. — Next  proceeding  eastward  and  north 
the  navigators  coasted  along  the  west  shore  of  America  until 
the  19th  of  August,  when,  in  latitude  70°44',  they  saw  ice  before 
them,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  forming  a 
compact  wall  of  about  six  feet  high.  On  nearer  approach  the  ice 
was  found  to  be  covered  with  multitudes  of  walruses  or  sea-horses. 
Cook's  narrative  says:  "They  lay  in  herds  of  many  hundreds  upon 
the  ice,  huddling  one  over  the  other  like  swine,  and  roar  or  bray 
very  loud,  so  that  in  the  night  or  foggy  weather  they  gave  us  notice 
of  the  vicinity  of  ice  before  we  could  see  it.  We  never  found  the 
whole  asleep,  some  being  always  upon  the  watch  and  communicated 
the  alarm  to  the  others."  The  dimensions  and  weight  of  one  of  them 
is  given :  Length  from  the  snout  to  the  tail,  9  ft.  4  in.  ;  length  of 
neck  from  snout  to  shoulder-bone,  2  ft.  6  in. ;  height  of  shoulder, 
5  ft. ;  length  of  fore-fin,  2  ft.  4  in.  ;  hind-fin,  2  ft.  6  in. ;  breadth  of 
fore-tin,  1  ft.  2|  in. ;  hind-tin,  2  ft.  ;  circumference  of  the  neck  close 
to  the  ears,  2  ft.  7  in.  ;  ditto,  body  at  the  shoulder,  7  ft.  10  in.  ; 
ditto,  near  the  hind-fins,  5  ft.  6  in.  ;  weight  of  carcass  without  the 
head,  skin  or  entrails,  854  pounds;  head,  41 J  pounds;  skin,  203 
pounds. 

CLOSE  OF  THE  CRUISE  NORTHWARDS. — Before  midnight  a  thick 
fog  came  on  and  the  ships  were  surrounded  with  loose  ice.  The 
fog  having  cleared  by  ten  o'clock  next  day,  in  latitude  69°32',  and 
the  main  body  of  ice  not  far  distant,  and  with  the  Continent  of 
America  within  five  leagues'  distance,  the  prospect  of  finding  the 
north-west  passage  was  improbable.  Cruising  until  the  29th,  large 
quantities  of  ice  appeared  northward.  The  narrative  here  states 
"  that  as  the  season  was  now  so  far  advanced  and  frost  expected 
soon  to  set  in,  it  was  not  considered  consistent  with  prudence  to 
make  further  attempts  to  find  a  passage  into  the  Atlantic."  Capt. 
Cook  then  crossed  to  the  Asiatic  side.  He  had  completed  his 
mission  and  fulfilled  his  instructions.  He  concludes  his  narrative 
by  saying :  "  We  were  now  upwards  of  520  leagues  to  the  westward 
of  any  part  of  Baffin's  or  Hudson's  Bay,  and  whatever  passage  there 
may  be,  or  at  least  part  of  it,  must  lie  to  the  north  of  latitude  72°." 


24  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

ALONG  THE  EAST  COAST  OF  RUSSIA. — In  September  he  shaped  his 
course  southwards,  gathering  much  information  on  the  Russian 
coast.  About  the  end  of  October  he  left  the  Asiatic  coast  for  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  which  he  made  the  rendezvous  to  meet  Captain 
Clerke,  in  the  event  of  the  Discovery  parting  company  with  the 
Resolution  on  the  voyage  south.  The  Sandwich  Islands  were 
reached  in  January,  1779. 

DEATH  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK.— In  February  the  great  navigator  was 
killed  in  a  melee  whilst  assisting  or  directing  a  party  of  his  men  to 
recover  one  of  the  ship's  boats  that  had  been  stolen  by  the  natives. 
After  Captain  Cook's  death  the  command  devolved  upon  Captain 
Clerke.  He  removed  on  board  the  Resolution  and  appointed 
Lieutenant  Gore  to  be  captain  of  the  Discovery. 

CAPTAIN  CLERKE'S  FURTHER  EXPLORATIONS. — The  expedition  did 
not  arrive  in  England  until  October,  1780.  The  delay  in  returning 
is  accounted  for  by  Captain  Clerke  having,  during  the  spring  of 
1779,  made  another  trip  to  Behring  Sea  to  make  a  further  attempt 
to  find  the  north-west  passage.  He  penetrated  as  far  as  70°  30'  N"., 
when  the  same  obstacles  prevented  his  progress  as  were  met  by 
Captain  Cook  the  preceding  year.  They  encountered  a  firm  barrier 
of  ice  seven  leagues  farther  south  than  Captain  Cook  had.  The. 
impossibility  of  finding  a  passage  to  the  north  was  now  thought 
to  be  sufficiently  proved ;  it  was  therefore  resolved  to  proceed 
homewards. 

DEATH  OF  CAPTAIN  CLERKE. — When  the  ships  leached  Kamtschatka, 
Captain  Cierke  died  of  a  decline.  Captain  Gore  now  succeeded  to 
the  command  of  the  expedition,  and  Lieutenant  King  took  command 
of  the  Discovery.  The  expedition,  although  successful  in  adding 
greatly  to  geographical  knowledge  and  in  opening  up  the  fur  trade  of 
the  North- West,  returned  to  England  in  mourning,  having  lost  both 
their  commanders.  They  were  replaced  by  able  men.  Some  of  the 
distinguished  officers  who  served  under  Captain  Cook  and  learned 
the  arduous  duties  of  their  profession  from  him,  such  as  Vancouver, 
Broughton,  Bligh,  Burney,  Colnett.  Portlock,  Dixon,  etc.,  afterwards 
became  leading  men  in  the  nautical  world,  and  shortly  after  the 
lamented  death  of  Captain  Cook,  assisted  in  opening  up  the  trade 
of  the  North-West  and  completing  the  explorations  which  he  had 
begun. 


SECTION  II. 

THE  FUR-TRADING  PERIOD. 
CHAPTEE   I. 

EXPEDITIONS  ORGANIZED. — As  soon  as  particulars  of  Captain  Cook's 
voyage  and  discoveries,  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America  were 
known,  and  that  such  a  large  supply  of  otter  skins  and  other  furs 
could  be  obtained  from  that  hitherto  unknown  region,  a  spirit  of 
adventure  and  commerce  was  created.  In  1786,  four  expeditions 
were  organized  in  different  parts  of  the  globe  to  engage  in  this  new 
trade,  without  any  knowledge  of  eacli  other's  designs. 

THE  PIONEER  TRADER.— -The  first  to  arrive  on  the  north-west  coast 
of  America  in  connection  with  this  new  enterprise,  was  Captain 
JAMES  HANNA.  His  vessel,  a  small  craft  of  only  seventy-two  tons 
burden,  with  a  crew  of  under  thirty  men,  had  been  equipped  in 
China,  in  1784-85,  by  English  merchants.  This  skilful  seaman  and 
brave  commander  pursued  his  course  along  the  coast  of  Japan,  thence 
eastwards  until  he  reached  Nootka  in  August,  1785.  On  arriving 
there,  the  natives,  judging  from  the  small  size  and  appearance  of  the 
vessel  compared  with  Captain  Cook's  outfit,  made  an  attack  upon 
Captain  Hanna  and  his  limited  crew.  They  were,  however,  speedily 
repulsed.  •  Hostilities  were  soon  ended  and  a  brisk  trade  commenced, 
which  resulted  in  Captain  Hanna  obtaining  a  large  number  of  sea-otter 
skins,  which  netted  him  $26,000  in  China. 

HANNA'S  SECOND  AND  LAST  VOYAGE. — Captain  Hanna  left  Nootka 
in  September.  On  his  return  northward  he  examined  the  coast, 
named  Sea-otter  Harbor  and  Fitzhugh  Sound,  reaching  Macao  in 
December.  He  made  a  second  voyage  to  Nootka  in  1786,  in  the  Sea- 
otter^  a  vessel  of  120  tons;  but  two  British  ships  having  arrived 
before  him,  his  second  commercial  venture  was  not  nearly  as 
profitable  as  that  of  the  preceding  year.  Captain  Meares,  referring 


26  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

to  Hanna's  voyages,  says  :  "  Before  he  could  engage  in  a  third,  this 
able  and  active  seaman  was  called  upon  to  take  that  voyage  from 
whence  there  is  no  return."  , 

TRADING  AND  SCIENTIFIC  EXPEDITION. — The  two  British  vessels 
referred  to  as  arriving  in  1786,  were  the  Captain  Cook  and  the 
Experiment,  sailing  under  the  flag  of  the  East  India  Company,  fitted 
out  by  Bombay  merchants,  David  Scott  being  the  principal  owner. 
They  were  under  the  supervision  of  James  Strange,  and  sailed  from 
Bombay,  arriving  at  Nootka  in  June,  1786.  They  obtained  six 
hundred  sea-otter  skins.  Returning  they  sailed  northward,  and 
probably  gave  the  name  Gape  Scott  to  the  north-western  point 
of  Vancouver  Island  after  David  Scott,  the  chief  owner  of  the  vessels. 
The  expedition,  at  his  own  request,  left  one  of  their  men,  John 
McKay,  at  Nootka,  under  the  chief's  protection,  to  .act  as  a. 
"drummer  "or  agent  for  the  fur-traders.  He  was  well  treated  by 
the  savages,  and  lived  with  a  native  wife  for  more  than  a  year 
amongst  them. 

A  FRENCH  EXPLORING  EXPEDITION. — The  French  navigator,  La 
Perouse,  set  out  on  an  exploring  expedition  in  1785.  His  discoveries 
were  published  too  late  to  be  of  special  value,  apart  from  that 
furnished  by  other  navigators  who  visited  those  seas  and  wrote  about 
what  they  had  seen.  Bancroft  says:  "Especially  were  his  discoveries 
unimportant  as  touching  the  north-west  coast."  His  explorations 
were  made  in  1786,  but  as  his  maps  were  not  published  until  1798, 
they  were  superseded  by  later  and  more  complete  surveys. 

LICENSED  TO  TRADE  IN  TEAS,  ETC. — Another  expedition,  formed  by 
the  ships  King  George  and  Queen  Charlotte,  left  England  in  1785. 
They  were  fitted  out  in  London  and  placed  under  Lieutenant  Portlock 
of  the  Royal  Navy,  with  license  from  the  South  Sea  Company  to 
trade  in  teas  from  China.  They  were  also  supplied  with  large 
quantities  of  stores,  and  had  appliances  to  "  form  factories,"  to 
build  vessels,  and  had  authority  to  make  settlements.  Both  the 
commanders,  Lieutenants  Nathaniel  Portlock  and  George  Dixon, 
had  previously  served  under  Captain  Cook,  and  were  prepared  to 
engage  both  in  geographical  discoveries  as  well  as  to  attend  to  the 
fur  trade.  They  sailed  around  Cape  Horn  and  touched  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  reaching  Cook's  River  in  July,  1786.  It  was 
their  intention  then  to  coast  southwards  and  winter  at  Nootka. 
After  touching  at  various  points  from  fifty-five  degrees  north  to 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  27 

Nootka,  the  weather  became  stormy  and  the  expedition  returned 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands  to  winter. 

PORTLOCK  AND  DIXON,  1786-87. — Next  season  they  left  for  Prince 
William  Sound.  By  the  end  of  July,  Captain  Dixon  had  reached 
the  northern  end  of  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  which  he  named  after 
the  vessel  he  commanded,  as  well  as  after  the  Queen  of  that  name. 
He  named  the  straits  between  the  islands  and  the  mainland,  "Dixon's 
Straits,"  after  himself.  Captain  Dixon  received  a  large  number  of 
sea-otter  skins  (1,821)  on  Queen  Charlotte  Islands.  The  number  of 
sea-otter  skins  obtained  during  the  season  by  both  vevssels  is  given  at 
2,552,  for  which  they  received  in  China,  $54,857.  Bancroft  states 
that  the  other  traders  for  the  season  together  only  obtained  2,481 
skins. 

CAPTAINS  BARCLAY  AND  DUNCAN,  1787. — The  expeditions  of  the 
ships,  Princess  Royal,  Captain  Duncan,  Prince  of  Wales,  Captain 
Colnett,  and  The  Imperial  Eagle,  Captain  Barclay,  arrived  in  1787. 
The  two  former  vessels  were  fitted  out  by  the  King  George  Sound 
Company,  which  had  sent  out  Portlock  and  Dixon  ;  the  latter 
sailed  under  the  flag  of  the  Austrian  East  India  Company,  in  1786, 
arriving  at  Nootka  in  1787.  Captain  Barclay  explored  Barclay 
Sound,  to  which  he  gave  his  name.  His  boat,  with  an  armed  crew, 
explored  the  Straits  of  Fuca.  He  is  said  to  have  received  much 
local  information  from  the  Mr.  McKay  who  had  been  residing 
at  Nootka  amongst  the  Indians  for  over  a  year.  Mrs.  Barclay 
accompanied  her  husband  on  this  voyage,  and  was  probably  the  first 
European  lady  who  visited  the  north-west  coast  of  America. 

CAPTAINS  KENDRICK  AND  GRAY,  1788. — A  large  number  of 
voyagers  and  navigators  met  at  Nootka  in  1788,  amongst  whom 
were  Captain  John  Meares,  of  the  Felice,  Wm.  Douglas,  of  the 
Iphigenia,  John  Kendrick,  of  the  Columbia,  Robert  Gray,  of  the 
Lady  Washington.  The  two  latter  vessels  were  the  first  that  appeared 
under  the  flag  of  the  United  States  on  the  waters  of  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean.  They  were  equipped  by  Boston  merchants  and  their 
crews  called  "Bostons,"  and  as  the  war  of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  had  just  been  concluded,  the  "  Bostons "  did  not 
regard  the  "  King  George  men  "  with  the  most  friendly  feeling. 

UNITED  STATES  FLAG,  1788. — The  first  fur-trading  expedition 
from  the  United  States  was  fitted  out  by  a  company  of  six  Boston 
merchants,  who  were  influenced  by  the  glowing  reports  of  Captain 
Cook's  discoveries  and  the  possible  trade  with  China.  The  voyage 


28 


HISTORY    OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


of  the  Lady  Washington  occupied  a  year  from  the  time  of  leaving 
Boston  until  her  arrival  at  Nootka.  That  vessel  was  towed  into 
Nootka  Sound  by  the  aid  of  boats  from  the  Felice  and  the  Iphigenia, 
which  were  lying  at  anchor  there. 

CAPTAIN  JOHN  MEAKES. — The  Felice, 
Captain  John  Meares,  was  a  vessel  of  230 
tons  burden,  with  a  crew  of  tifty  men, 
comprising  artificers,  Chinese  smiths 
and  carpenters  as  well  as  European 
artizans;  Iphigenia,  Captain  Douglas, 
a  vessel  of  200  tons  burden,  with  a  crew 
of  forty  men,  composed  of  the  same 
classes  of  people,  artizans  and  sailors. 
Both  ships  were  well  built  and  copper- 
bottomed.  "  The  Chinese  were,"  Cap- 
tain Meares  states,  "  shipped  as  an 

CAPTAIN    .TOIIX    MKAKRS. 

experiment ;  they  have  been  generally 

esteemed  a  hardy  and  industrious,  as  well  as  ingenious,  race  of  people. 
They  live  011  tish  and  rice,  and,  requiring  but  low  wages,  it  was  a 
matter  of  economical  consideration  to  employ  them,  and  during  the 
whole  voyage  there  was  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  their  ser- 
vices. The  expense  of  fitting  out  the  expedition  was  borne  by  several 
British  merchants  resident  in  India,  in  conjunction  with  Captain 
Meares,  who  had  been  formerly  a  lieutenant  in  the  British  navy. 
On  the  13th  of  May,  1788,  they  reached  Nootka  and  anchored  abreast 
of  the  village  in  "  Friendly  Cove,"  in  four  fathoms  of  water,  after  a 
passage  of  three  months  and  twenty-three  days  from  China.  They 
were  well  received  by  the  natives.  The  principal  chiefs,  Maquilla 
and  Callicum,  were  absent  on  a  visit  to  Wican-an-ish,  a  powerful 
prince  of  a  tribe  to  the  southward.  That  locality  is  now  known  as 
Clayoquot  Sound. 

MAQUILLA'S  FLEET. — "On  the  16th  of  May,"  Captain  Meares  in 
his  narrative  states,  "  Maquilla  and  Callicum  returned,  and  entered 
the  cove  accompanied  by  a  number  of  war  canoes.  They  moved  or 
rowed  (paddled)  around  the  ship  with  great  parade,  singing  at  the 
same  time  a  song  of  a  pleasing  though  sonorous  melody.  Maquilla's 
fleet  consisted  of  twelve  war  canoes,  each  of  which  contained  about 
eighteen  men  ;  the  greater  part  of  whom  were  clothed  in  the  most 
beautiful  skins  of  the  sea  otter,  which  covered  them  from  their  neck 
to  their  ankles.  Their  hair  was  powdered  witli  the  white  down  of 
birds  and  their  faces  bedaubed  with  red  and  black  ochre,  in  the  form 
of  a  shark's  jaw,  and  a  kind  of  spiral  line,  which  rendered  their 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  29 

appearance  extremely  savage.  In  most  of  these  boats  there  were 
eight  rowers  (paddlers)  on  a  side,  and  a  single  man  sat  at  the  bow. 
The  chief  occupied  a  place  in  the  middle,  and  was  distinguished  by  a 
high  cap,  pointed,  at  the  crown  and  ornamented  at  the  top  with  a 
small  tuft  of  feathers. 

INDIAN  Music. — "  We  listened  to  their  song,"  continues  Mr. 
Meares,  "  with  an  equal  degree  cf  surprise  and  pleasure.  It  was, 
indeed,  impossible  for  any  ear  susceptible  of  delight  from  musical 
sounds,  or  any  mind  that  was  not  insensible  to  the  power  of  melody, 
to  remain  unmoved  by  this  solemn,  unexpected  concert.  The  chorus 
was  in  unison,  and  strictly  correct  as  to  time  and  tone  ;  nor  did  a 
dissonant  note  escape  them.  Sometimes  they  would  make  a  sudden 
transition  from  the  high  to  the  low  notes,  with  such  melancholy 
turns  in  their  variations,  that  we  could  not  reconcile  to  ourselves  the 
manner  in  which  tl*;y  acquired  or  contrived  this  more  than  untaught 
melody  of  nature.  There  was  something  for  the  eye  as  well  as  the 
ear,  and  the  action  which  accompanied  their  voices  added  very  much 
to  the  impression  which  the  chanting  made  upon  us  all.  Everyone 
beat  time  with  undeviating  regularity  against  the  gunwale  of  the 
boat  with  their  paddles,  and  at  the  end  of  every  verse  or  stanza  they 
pointed  with  extended  arms  to  the  north  and  to  the  south,  gradually 
sinking  their  voices  in  such  a  solemn  manner  as  to  produce  an  effect 
not  often  attained  by  the  orchestras  in  our  quarter  of  the  globe. 

OIL  REFKESHMENTS.  —  "  They  paddled  around  our  ship  twice  in  this 
manner,  uniformly  rising  up  when  they  came  to  the  stern  and  calling 
out  the  word  '  wacush,  wacush,'  or  friends.  They  then  brought  their 
canoes  alongside,  when  Maquilla  and  Callicum  came  on  board. 
The  former  appeared  to  be  about  thirty  years,  of  a  middle  size,  but 
extremely  well  made  and  possessing  a  countenance  that  was  formed 
to  interest  all  who  saw  him.  The  latter  seemed  to  be  ten  years 
older,  of  an  athletic  make,  and  a  fine  open  arrangement  of  features, 
that  united  regard  and  confidence.  The  inferior  people  were  very 
proper  and  personable  men.  A  sealskin  filled  witli  oil  was  immedi- 
ately handed  on  board,  of  which  the  chiefs  took  a  small  quantity., 
and  they  ordered  it  to  be  returned  to  the  people  in  the  canoes,  who 
soon  emptied  the  vessel  of  this  luxurious  liquor. 

MEARES  GIVES  AND  RECEIVES  PRESENTS. — "A  present,  consisting 
of  copper,  iron  and  other  gratifying  articles,  was  made  to  Maquilla 
and  Callicum,  who  on  receiving  it  took  off  their  sea-otter  garments, 
threw  them  in  the  most  graceful  manner  at  our  feet,  and  remained  in 
the  unattired  garb  of  nature  on  the  deck.  They  were  each  of  them 
in  turn  presented  with  a  blanket,  when  with  every  mark  of  the 
highest  satisfaction,  they  descended  into  their  canoes,  which  were 
paddled  hastily  to  the  shore. 

A  BUILDING  SITE  SECURED. — "Maquilla  not  only  readily  consented 
to  grant  us  a  spot  of  ground  in  his  territory,  whereon  a  house  might 
be  built  for  the  accommodation  of  the  people  we  intended  to  leave 
there,  but  had  promised  us  also  his  assistance  in  forwarding  our 


3U  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

works  and  his  protection  of  the  party  who  were  destined  to  remain 
at  Nootka  during  our  absence.  In  return  for  this  kindness,  and  to 
insure  a  continuance  of  it,  the  chief  was  presented  with  a  pair  of 
pistols,  which  he  had  regarded  with  an  eye  of  solicitation  ever  since 
our  arrival.  Callicum,  who  seemed  to  have  formed  a  most  affectionate 
attachment  to  us,  was  also  gratified,  as  well  as  the  ladies  of  his 
families,  with  suitable  presents  ;  indeed  it  became  our  more  immediate 
attention  to  confirm  his  regard,  as  he  had  been  appointed  by  Maquilla 
to  be  our  particular  guardian  and  protector,  and  had  the  most 
peremptory  injunctions  to  prevent  the  natives  from  making  any 
depredations  on  us. 

HOUSE  BUILDING  PROGRESSES. — "  Great  advances  were  made  in 
building  the  house,  which  on  the  28th  was  completely  finished.  In 
the  very  expeditious  accomplishment  of  this  important  work,  the 
natives  afforded  us  all  the  assistance  in  their  power,  not  only  by 
bringing  the  timber  from  the  woods,  but  by  readily  engaging  in  any 
and  every  service  that  was  required  of  them.  When  the  bell  rang 
for  our  people  to  leave  off  work  in  the  evening,  the  native  laborers 
were  always  assembled  to  receive  their  daily  pay,  which  was  dis- 
tributed in  certain  proportions  of  beads  and  iron.  Such  a  proceeding 
on  our  part  won  so  much  upon  their  regard  and  confidence,  that  we 
could  not  find  employment  for  the  numbers  that  continually  solicited 
to  engage  in  our  service.  The  house  was  sufficiently  spacious  to 
contain  all  the  party  intended  to  be  left  on  the  Sound  (Nootka).  On 
the  ground  floor  there  was  ample  room  for  the  coopers,  sail  makers 
and  other  artizans  to  work  in  bad  weather  ;  a  large  room  was  set 
apart  for  the  stores  and  provisions.  The  armorer's  shop  was  attached 
to  one  end  of  the  building  and  communicated  with  it.  The  upper 
story  was  divided  into  an  eating-room  and  chambers  for  the  party. 
On  the  whole,  our  house,  though  it  was  not  built  to  satisfy  a  lover  of 
architectural  beauty,  was  admirably  well  calculated  for  the  purpose 
to  which  it  was  destined,  and  appeared  to  be  a  structure  of  uncommon 
magnificence  to  the  natives  of  King  George's  Sound. 

A  FORTIFICATION  ERECTED. — "A  strong  breastwork  was  thrown 
up  round  the  house,  enclosing  a  considerable  area  of  ground,  which 
with  one  piece  of  cannon,  placed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  command 
the  cove  and  village  of  Nootka,  formed  a  fortification  sufficient  to 
secure  the  party  from  intrusion. 

THE  NATIVES  ARE  FRIENDLY. — "The  good  harmony  and  friendly 
intercourse  which  subsisted  between  us  and  the  natives,  will,  we 
trust,  be  considered  as  a  proof  that  our  conduct  was  regulated  by 
the  principles  of  humane  policy  ;  while  the  generous  and  hospitable 
demeanor  of  our  faithful  allies  will  convey  a  favorable  idea  of  their 
character,  when  treated  with  that  kindness  which  unenlightened 
nature  demands,  and  is  the  true  object'  of  commercial  policy  to 
employ. 

THEY  POSSESS  GRATITUDE  AND  AFFECTION.— "  The  various  offices 
of  personal  attachment  which  we  received  from  many  individuals  of 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  31 

these  people  were  sufficient  to  convince  us  that  gratitude  is  a  virtue 
well  known  on  this  distant  shore,  and  that  a  noble  sensibility  to 
offices  of  kindness  was  to  be  found  among  the  woods  of  Nootka. 
Callicuni  possessed  a  delicacy  of  mind  and  conduct  which  would  have 
done  honor  to  the  most  improved  state  of  our  civilization.  A  thousand 
instances  of  regard  and  affection  towards  us  might  be  related  of  this 
amiable  man,  who  is  now  no  more,  and  the  only  return  that  we  can 
make  for  his  friendship  is  to  record  it,  and  with  every  expression  of 
horror  and  detestation  of  that  inhuman  and  wanton  spirit  of  murder 
which  deprived  his  country  of  its  brightest  ornament,  the  future 
navigator  of  a  protecting  friend,  and  drove  an  unoffending  and 
useful  people  from  their  native  home  to  find  a  new  habitation  in  the 
distant  desert." 

INHUMAN  CONDUCT  BY  A  SPANISH  OFFICER. — Captain  Meares  adds 
the  following  explanatory  note:  "This  amiable  chief  was  shot 
through  the  body  in  the  month  of  June,  1789,  by  an  officer  on  board 
one  of  the  ships  of  Don  Martinez.  The  following  particulars  were 
received  from  the  master  of  the  North-West  America,  a  young 
gentleman  of  the  most  correct  veracity,  who  was  himself  a  witness  of 
the  inhuman  act : 

"  Callicum,  his  wife  and  child,  came  in  a  small  canoe  alongside  the 
Princessa,  the  commodore's  ship,  and  the  fa'sh  being  taken  from  him 
in  a  rough  and  unwelcome  manner  before  he  could  present  it  to  the 
commodore,  the  chief  was  so  incensed  at  this  behavior  that  he 
immediately  left  the  ship,  exclaiming  as  he  departed,  'peshae,  peshae,5 
the  meaning  of  which  is  'bad,  bad.'  This  conduct  was  considered  so 
offensive  that  he  was  immediately  shot  through  the  heart  by  a  ball 
from  the  quarter-deck.  The  body  on  receiving  the  ball  sprung  over 
the  side  of  the  canoe  and  immediately  sank.  The  wife  was  taken 
with  her  child,  in  a  state  of  stupefaction,  to  the  shore  by  some  of  her 
friends,  who  were  witnesses  of  this  inhuman  catastrophe.  Shortly 
afterwards  the  father  of  Callicum  ventured  on  board  the  Spanish 
ship  to  beg  permission  to  creep  for  the  body  beneath  the  water,  when 
this  sad  request  of  parental  sorrow  was  refused  till  the  poor  afflicted 
savage  had  collected  a  sufficient  number  of  skins  among  his  neighbors 
to  purchase  of  Christians  the  privilege  of  giving  sepulture  to  a  son 
whom  they  had  murdered,  The  body  was  soon  found  and  followed 
to  its  place  of  interment  by  the  lamenting  widow,  attended  by  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Sound,  who  expressed  the  keenest  sorrows  for 
a  chief  whom  they  loved,  and  to  those  virtues  it  becomes  our  duty 
to  give  the  grateful  testimony  of  merited  affection." 


32  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEK  II. 


MEMORIAL  FROM  CAPTAIN  MEARES. 

EVIDENCE  ON  THE  SUBJECT. — The  foregoing  extracts  will  serve  to 
show  the  animus  of  the  Spaniards  towards  the  natives,  and  will 
prepare  the  reader  to  expect  little  else  from  them  than  the  outra- 
geous manner  in  which  they  treated  Captain  Meares's  men  and  confis- 
cated and  destroyed  his  property.  The  circumstances  are  fully 
explained  in  the  memorial  which  he  had  presented  to  the  British 
House  of  Commons  on  the  13th  of  May,  1790.  The  action  which 
the  British  Government  felt  called  upon  to  take  to  protect  British 
subjects  and  their  property  ultimately  resulted  in  securing  to  Great 
Britain  the  whole  of  the  north-west  coast,  between  what  was  at  that 
time  known  as  California  and  the  Russian  outposts.  The  evidence 
was  so  clear  and  strong  that  neither  sophistry,  subterfuge  nor  special 
pleading  could  maintain  Spain  in  her  extravagant  claims.  The  docu- 
ments now  submitted  form  the  basis  of  the  early  history  of  British 
Columbia ;  therefore  they  are  given  at  some  length  : 

"  The  memorial  of  JOHN  MEARES,  Lieutenant  in  his  Majesty's 
navy,  most  humbly  sheweth  : 

"That  earlv  in  the  year  1786,  certain  merchants  residing  in  the 
East  Indies,  and  under  the  immediate  protection  of  the  Company, 
desirous  of  opening  a  trade  with  the  north-west  coast  of  America  for 
supplying  the  Chinese  market  with  furs  and  ginseng,  communicated 
such  design  to  Sir  John  MacPherson,  the  Governor-General  of  India, 
who  not  only  approved  of  the  plan,  but  joined  in  the  subscription  for 
its  execution,  and  two  vessels  were  accordingly  purchased  and  placed 
under  the  orders  and  command  of  your  memorialist. 

"That  in  the  month  of  March,  your  memorialist  despatched  one  of 
the  said  vessels,  which  he  named  the  Sea-otter,  under  the  command 
of  Mr.  Tipping,  to  Prince  William's  Sound,  and  followed  her  on  the 
other  ship,  which  he  named  the  Nootka. 

"That  on  your  memorialist's  arrival  in  Prince  William's  Sound,  in 
the  month  of  September,  he  found  the  Sea-otter  had  left  that  place  a 
few  days  before ;  and  from  intelligence  he  has  since  received,  the  ship 
was  soon  after  unfortunately  lost  off  the  coast  of  Kamtschatka. 

"  That  your  memorialist  remained  in  Prince    William's   Sound  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  33 

whole  of  the  winter,  in  the  course  of  which  time  he  opened  an 
extensive  trade  with  the  natives ;  and  having  collected  a  cargo  of 
furs,  he  proceeded  to  China  in  the  autumn  of  1787. 

"That  in  the  month  of  January,  1788,  your  memorialist  having 
disposed  of  the  Nootka,  he,  in  conjunction  with  several  British 
merchants  residing  in  India,  purchased  and  fitted  out  two  other 
vessels,  named  the  Felice  and  Iphigenia  ;  the  latter  he  put  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  William  Douglas.  That  your  memorialist  proceeded 
from  China  to  the  port  of  Nootka,  or  King  George's  Sound,  which  he 
reached  in  the  month  of  May,  and  the  Iphigenia  arrived  in  Cook's 
River  in  the  month  of  June. 

"  That  your  memorialist,  immediately  on  his  arrival  in  Nootka 
Sound,  purchased  from  Maquilla,  the  chief  of  the  district  contiguous 
to  and  surrounding  that  place,  a  spot  of  ground  whereon  he  built  a. 


LAUNCH   OK   THE   "  NORTH-WEST   AMKKICA." 

house  for  his  occasional  residence,  as  well  as  for  the  more  convenient 
pursuit  of  his  trade  with  the  natives,  and  hoisted  the  British  colors- 
thereon ;  that  he  also  erected  a  breast-work  which  surrounded  the 
house,  and  mounted  one  3-pounder  in  front.  That  having  done 
so,  your  memorialist  proceeded  to  trade  on  the  coast,  the  Felice 
taking  her  route  to  the  southwards,  and  the  Iphigenia  to  the  north- 
wards, confining  themselves  within  the  limits  of  60°  and  45°30' 
north,  and  returned  to  Nootka  Sound  in  the  month  of  September. 
That  on  your  memorialist's  arrival  there,  his  people  whom  he  had 
left  behind,  had  nearly  completed  a  vessel,  which,  previous  to  his- 
departure,  he  had  laid  down  ;  and  that  the  said  vessel  was  soon  after 
launched  by  your  memorialist  and  called  the  North- West  America^ 
3 


34  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

measuring  about  forty  tons,  and  was  equipped  with  all  expedition  to 
assist  him  in  his  enterprises. 

"  That  during  the  absence  of  your  memorialist  from  Nootka  Sound 
he  obtained  from  Wicananish,  tbe  chief  of  the  district  surrounding 
Port  Cox  and  Port  Essingham,  situated  in  the  latitudes  48°  and  49°, 
in  consequence  of  considerable  presents  the  promise  of  a  free  and 
-exclusive  trade  with  the  natives  of  the  district,  and  also  his  permission 
to  build  any  storehouses  or  other  edifices  which  he  might  judge 
mecessary  ;  that  he  also  acquired  the  same  privilege  of  exclusive 
trade  from  Tatootche,  the  chief  of  the  country  bordering  on  the  Straits 
<of  Juan  de  Fuca,  and  purchased  from  him  a  tract  of  land  within  the 
said  strait,  which  one  of  your  memorialist's  officers  took  possession  of 
in  the  King's  name,  calling  the  same  Tatootche,  in  honor  of  that  chief 

"That  the  Iphigenia,  in  her  progress  to  the  southward,  also 
visited  several  ports,  and  in  consequence  of  presents  to  the  chiefs  of 
the  country,  her  commander  had  assurances  given  to  him  of  not  only 
a  free  access,  but  of  an  exclusive  trade  upon  that  coast,  no  other 
European  vessel  having  been  there  before  her. 

"  That  your  memorialist,  on  the  23rd  of  September,  having 
•collected  a  cargo  of  furs,  proceeded  in  the  Felice  to  China,  leaving 
the  Iphigenia  and  the  North-West  America  in  Nootka  Sound,  with 
orders  to  winter  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  to  return  to  the  coast 
in  the  spring.  That  your  memorialist  arrived  in  China  early  in  the 
month  of  December,  where  he  sold  his  cargo  and  also  the  ship  Felice. 

"That  a  few  days  after  your  memorialist's  arrival  in  China,  the 
ships  Prince  of  Wales  and  Princess  Royal,  fitted  out  from  the  port  of 
London  by  Messrs.  John  and  Cadman  Etches  &  Co.,  came  to  Canton 
'from  a  trading  voyage  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America  ;  and  your 
memorialist,  finding  that  they  had  embarked  in  this  commerce  under 
licenses  granted  to  them  by  the  East  India  and  South  Sea  Companies, 
which  would  not  expire  until  the  year  1790;  and  apprehending  at 
the  same  time  that  the  trade  would  suffer  by  a  competition,  he  and 
his  partners  associated  themselves  with  the  said  Messrs.  Etches  A: 
Co.,  and  a  formal  agreement  was  executed  in  consequence  between 
your  memorialist  and  Mr.  John  Etches,  then  supercargo  of  the  two 
ships,  making  a  joint  stock  of  all  the  vessels  and  property  employed 
in  that  trade ;  and  under  that  firm  they  purchased  a  ship,  which  had 
been  built  at  Calcutta,  and  called  her  the  Argonaut. 

"  That  the  Prince  of  Wales,  having  been  chartered  to  load  teas  for 
the  East  India  Company,  soon  after  returned  to  England  :  and  the 
Princess  Royal  and  Argonaut  were  ordered  by  your  memorialist  to 
sail  for  the  coast  of  America,  under  the  command  of  James  Colnett, 
to  whom  the  charge  of  all  the  concerns  of  the  Company  on  the  coast 
had  been  committed. 

"  Mr.  Colnett  was  directed  to  fix  his  residence  at  Nootka  Sound, 
and  with  that  view,  to  erect  a  substantial  house  on  the  spot  which 
your  memorialist  had  purchased  in  the  preceding  year. 

"  That  the  Princess  Royal  and  Argonaut,  loaded  with  stores  and 
•provisions  of  all  descriptions,  with  articles  estimated  to  be  sufficient 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  35 

for  the  trade  for  three  years,  and  a  vessel  on  board  in  frame,  of  about 
thirty  tons  burden,  left  China  accordingly  in  the  months  of  April  and 
May^  1789.  They  had  also  on  board,  in  addition  to  their  crews, 
several  artificers  of  different  professions  and  nearly  seventy  Chinese, 
who  intended  to  become  settlers  on  the  American  coast,  in  the  service 
and  under  the  protection  of  the  associated  Company. 

"That  on  the  24th  April,  1789,  the  Iphigenia  returned  to  Nootka 
Sound,  and  that  the  North-  West  America  reached  the  place  a  few  days 
after  ;  that  they  found  on  their  arrival  in  that  port  two  American 
vessels  which  had  wintered  there ;  one  of  them  was  called  the  Columbia, 
the  other  the  Washington  ;  that  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month  the 
North-West  America  was  despatched  to  the  northward  to  trade,  and 
ulso  to  explore  the  archipelago  of  St.  Lazarus. 

"That  on  the  6th  of  May,  the  Iphigenia  being  then  at  anchor 
in  Nootka  Sound,  a  Spanish  ship  of  war,  called  the  Princessa, 
commanded  by  Don  Stephen  Joseph  Martinez,  mounting  twenty-six 
guns,  which  had  sailed  from  the  port  of  San  Bias  in  the  Province  of 
Mexico,  anchored  in  Nootka  Sound,  and  was  joined  on  the  13th  by  a 
Spanish  '  snow'  (a  vessel  equipped  with  two  masts,  resembling  the 
main  and  fore-masts  of  a  ship,  and  a  third  small  mast  just  abaft  the 
main  mast,  carrying  a  try-sail)  of  sixteen  guns,  called  the  San  Carlos, 
which  vessel  had  also  sailed  from  San  Bias,  loaded  with  cannon  and 
other  warlike  stores. 

"  That  from  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Princessa  until  the  14th 
of  May,  mutual  civilities  passed  between  Captain  Douglas  and  the 
Spanish  officers,  and  even  supplies  were  obtained  from  Don  Martinez 
for  the  use  of  the  ship  ;  but  on  that  clay  he,  Captain  Douglas, 
was  ordered  on  board  the  Princessa  and,  to  his  great  surprise,  was 
informed  by  Don  Martinez  that  he  had  the  king's  orders  to  seize  all 
ships  and  vessels  he  might  find  upon  that  coast,  and  that  he,  the 
commander  of  the  Iphigenia,  was  then  his  prisoner ;  that  Don 
Martinez  thereupon  instructed  his  officers  to  take  possession  of  the 
Iphigenia,  which  they  accordingly  did,  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic 
Majesty,  and  the  officers  and  crew  of  that  ship  were  immediately 
conveyed  as  prisoners  on  board  the  Spanish  ships,  where  they  were 
put  in  irons  and  otherwise  ill-treated. 

"  That  as  soon  as  the  Iphigenia  had  been  seized,  Don  Martinez 
took  possession  of  the  lands  belonging  to  your  memorialist,  on  which 
his  temporary  habitation  before  mentioned  had  been  erected,  hoisting 
thereupon  the  standard  of  Spain  and  performing  such  ceremonies  as 
your  memorialist  understands  are  usual  on  such  occasions  ;  declaring 
at  the  same  time  that  all  the  lands  comprised  between  Cape  Horn 
and  the  sixtieth  degree  of  north  latitude  did  belong  to  his  Catholic 
Majesty;  he  then  proceeded  to  build  batteries,  storehouses,  etc.,  in 
the  execution  of  which  he  forcibly  employed  some  of  the  crew  of  the 
Iphigenia,  and  many  of  them  who  attempted  to  resist  were  very 
severely  punished. 

"  That  during  the  time  the  commander  of  the  Iphigenia  remained 
in  captivity,  he  had  frequently  been  urged  by  Don  Martinez  to  sign 


36  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

an  instrument,  purporting,  as  he  was  informed  (not  understanding 
himself  the  Spanish  language),  that  Don  Martinez  had  found  him  at 
anchor  in  Nootka  Sound,  that  he  was  at  that  time  in  great  distress, 
that  he  had  furnished  him  with  everything  necessary  for  his  passage 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  that  his  navigation  had  in  no  respect 
been  molested  or  interrupted  ;  but  which  paper,  on  inspection  of  a 
copy  thereof  delivered  to  Mr.  Douglas,  appears  to  be  an  obligation 
from  him  and  Mr.  Viana,  the  second  captain,  on  the  part  of  their 
owners,  to  pay  on  demand  the  valuation  of  that  vessel,  her  cargo,  etc., 
in  case  the  viceroy  of  New  Spain  should  adjudge  her  to  be  a  lawful 
prize  for  entering  the  port  of  Nootka  without  the  permission  of  his 
Catholic  Majesty,  and  he  frequently  refused  to  accede  to  this  propo- 
sal ;  but  that  Don  Martinez,  partly  by  threats  and  partly  by  promises 
of  restoring  him  to  his  command  and  of  furnishing  him  with  such 
supplies  of  stores  and  provisions  as  he  -might  stand  in  need  of,, 
ultimately  carried  his  point ;  and  having  so  done,  he,  on  the  26th  of 
the  same  month,  was  restored  to  the  command  of  the  Iphigenia,  but 
restrained  from  proceeding  to  sea  until  the  return  of  the  North-West 
America,  insisting  that  he  should  then  dispose  of  her  for  four  hundred 
dollars,  the  price  which  one  of  the  American  captains  had  set  upon 
her. 

'.'That  during  the  time  the  Spaniards  held  possession  of  the 
Iphigenia,  she  was  stripped  of  all  the  merchandise  which  had 
been  provided  for  trading,  as  also  of  her  stores,  provisions,  nautical 
instruments,  charts,  etc.,  and,  in  short,  every  other  article  (excepting 
twelve  bars  of  iron)  which  they  could  conveniently  carry  away,  even 
to  the  extent  of  the  master's  watch  and  articles  of  clothing. 

"That  notwithstanding  what  had  been  insisted  on  by  Don  Martinez, 
respecting  the  sale  of  the  North-  West  America,  he  had  constantly 
refused  to  dispose  of  that  vessel  on  any  ground,  alleging  that,  as  she 
did  not  belong  to  him,  he  had  no  right  to  dispose  of  her;  that  the 
North-West  America  not  returning  so  soon  as  was  expected,  he, 
Captain  Douglas,  was  told  by  Don  Martinez,  that  on  his  ordering 
that  vessel  to  be  delivered  to  him  for  the  use  of  his  Catholic  Majesty, 
he  should  have  liberty  to  depart  with  the  Iphigenia;  that  he 
accordingly  on  the  1st  of  June,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  master  of  the 
North-West  America,  but  cautiously  avoided  any  directions  to  the 
effect  desired,  and  availing  himself  of  Don  Martinez's  ignorance  of 
the  English  language,  he  instantly  sailed  from  Nootka  Sound,  though 
in  a  very  unn't  condition  to  proceed  on  such  a  voyage,  leaving  behind 
him  the  two  American  vessels,  which  had  been  suffered  to  continue 
there  unmolested  by  the  Spaniards  from  the  time  of  their  first 
arrival;  that  the  Iphigenia  proceeded  from  thence  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  after  obtaining  there  such  supplies  as  they  were  able  to- 
procure  with  the  iron  before  mentioned,  returned  to  China  and 
anchored  there  in  the  month  of  October,  1789. 

"Your  memorialist  thinks  it  necessary  to  explain,  that  in  order  ta 
evade  the  excessive  high  port  charges  demanded  by  the  Chinese  from 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  37 

all  other  European  nations  excepting  the  Portuguese,  he  and  his 
associates  had  obtained  the  name  of  Juan  Cawalho  to  their  firm, 
though  he  had  no  actual  concern  in  their  scock  ;  that  Cawalho,  though 
by  birth  a  Portuguese,  had  been  naturalized  at  Bombay,  and  had 
resided  there  for  many  years  under  the  protection  of  the  East  India 
Company,  and  had  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  from  thence  to  their 
several  settlements  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

"  That  the  intimacy  subsisting  between  Cawalho  and  the  Governor 
of  Macao,  had  been  the  principal  cause  of  their  forming  this  nominal 
connection ;  and  that  Cawalho  had  in  consequence  obtained  his 
permission  that  the  two  ships  above  mentioned,  in  case  should  it  be 
found  convenient  to  do  so,  should  be  allowed  to  navigate  under,  or 
claim  any  advantages  granted  to,  the  Portuguese  flag. 

"That  this  permission  had  answered  the  purpose  of  your  memorial- 
ist, so  far  as  respected  the  port  charges  of  the  Chinese,  until  the 
return  of  the  Iphigenia ;  but  the  Portuguese  governor  dying  soon 
after  her  departure,  and  Cawalho  becoming  a  bankrupt,  his  creditors 
demanded  an  interest  in  that  ship ;  that  the  governor  had,  in 
consequence,  investigated  the  transaction,  and  finding  that  Cawalho 
had  no  actual  concern  or  interest  in  the  property,  obliged  her  to 
•quit  the  port  :  that  this  proceeding  had  subjected  the  Iphigenia  at 
once  to  the  increased  port  charges  which  were  instantly  demanded  by 
and  paid  to  the  Chinese. 

"  Your  memorialist  has  stated  this  transaction  thus  fully,  in  order 
to  show  that  the  Iphigenia  and  her  cargo  were  actually  and  bonafide 
British  property,  as  well  as  to  explain  the  occasion  of  the  orders 
which  were  given  to  her  commander  (extracts  of  which  accompany 
this,  and  are  referred  to  in  the  journal  of  that  ship,  having  been 
under. the  inspection  of  Don  Martinez). 

"Your  memorialist  further  begs  to  state  that  after  the  departure 
of  the  Iphigenia,  Don  Martinez  became  apprized  of  the  letter  with 
which  he  had  been  furnished,  and  that  on  the  return  of  the  North- 
West  America  off  the  port  of  Nootka,  on  the  9th  of  June,  she  was 
boarded  and  seized  by  boats  manned  and  equipped  for  war,  com- 
manded by  Don  Martinez;  that  he  did  tow  and  convey  the  said 
vessel  into  the  sound,  and  anchoring  her  close  to  the  Spanish  ships 
of  war,  did  then  take  possession  of  her  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic 
Majesty  as  good  and  lawful  prize ;  that  the  above  mentioned  vessel 
was  soon  after  hauled  alongside  of  the  Spanish  frigate ;  and  that  the 
officers  and  men,  together  with  the  skins  which  had  been  collected, 
amounting  to  215,  of  the  best  quality,  and  also  her  stores,  tackle 
and  furniture,  articles  of  trade,  etc.,  were  removed  on  board  the 
Spanish  frigate ;  that  the  commander  of  the  North-  West  America, 
his  officers  and  men,  were  accordingly  made  prisoners,  and  Mr. 
Thomas  Barnett,  one  of  the  officers  of  that  vessel,  and  some  of  her 
men,  were,  as  appears  by  the  affidavit  of  William  Graham,  one  of  the 
seamen  belonging  to  that  vessel,  afterwards  put  in  irons. 

"  That  the  Princess  Royal  arriving  a  few  days  after  the  seizure  of 


38  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

the  North-West  America,  and  being  allowed  to  depart,  the  skins 
collected  by  the  last  mentioned  vessel  (excepting  twelve  of  the  best 
quality,  which  Don  Martinez  thought  tit  to  retain)  were  returned  to 
the  master,  and,  with  the  permission  of  Don  Martinez,  were  shipped 
on  board  the  Princess  Royal  for  the  benefit  of  the  owners ;  and  that 
ship,  as  appears  by  her  journal,  put  to  sea  on  the  2nd  of  July  to 
pursue  the  trade  upon  the  coast. 

"That  Don  Martinez,  after  seizing  the  North-West  America  in  the 
manner  and  under  the  circumstances  above  stated,  employed  her  on 
a  trading  voyage,  from  which  she  returned  after  an  absence  of  about 
twenty  days,  with  seventy-iive  skins  obtained  by  British  merchan- 
dise which  had  either  been  found  in  that  vessel  at  the  time  of  her 
capture,  or  had  been  taken  from  the  Iphiyenia ;  and  that  the  value 
of  the  furs  so  collected  cannot,  upon  a  moderate  calculation,  be 
estimated  at  less  than  $7,500,  and  which  Don  Martinez  had  applied 
to  his  own  advantage. 

"That  the  Argonaut  arrived  off  the  port  of  Nootka  on  or  about 
the  3rd  of  July,  1789;  that  Don  Martinez,  on  observing  her  in  the 
offing,  boarded  her  in  his  launch  and  with  expressions  of  civility, 
promised  Mr.  Colnett,  her  commander,  every  assistance  in  his  power; 
that  before  the  Argonaut  entered  the  sound,  Mr.  Thomas  Barnett 
(who  belonged  to  the  North-  West  America,  and  was  then  a  prisoner) 
came  off  in  a  canoe  and  informed  Mr.  Colnett  of  the  proceedings 
which  had  taken  place,  and  of  the  danger  to  which  he  was  exposed  ; 
but  that  under  the  assurances  given  by  Don  Martinez  that  the 
Argonaut  should  remain  unmolested,  and  being  in  want  of  refresh- 
ments for  the  crew,  Mr.  Colnett  proceeded  into  Nootka  Sound. 

"  That,  notwithstanding  the  assurances  given  by  Don  Martinez, 
lie,  the  next  day,  sent  the  lieutenant  of  the  Princessa  with  a  military 
force  to  take  possession  of  the  Argonaut ;  and  that  ship  was  accord- 
ingly seized  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic  Majesty  ;  the  British  flag 
was  hauled  down  and  the  Spanish  flag  was  hoisted  in  its  stead. 

"That  on  the  seizure  of  the  Argonaut,  her  officers  and  men  were 
made  prisoners,  and  Mr.  Colnett  was  threatened  to  be  hanged  at  the 
yard-arm  in  case  of  his  refusing  compliance  with  any  directions 
which  might  be  given  to  him. 

"That  on  the  13th  of  July,  the  Princess  Royal,  as  stated  in  her 
journal,  again  appeared  off  the  port  of  Nootka  ;  that  her  commander 
approaching  the  sound  in  his  boat  in  expectation  of  finding  there  the 
commander  of  the  expedition  (from  whom  he  was  desirous  of 
receiving  instructions  for  his  future  proceedings),  was  seized  and 
made  prisoner  by  Don  Martinez,  and,  under  threats  of  hanging  him 
at  the  yard-arm,  forced  him  to  send  orders  to  his  officers  to  deliver 
up  the  Princess  Royal  without  contest. 

"  That  a  Spanish  officer  was  despatched  into  the  offing  with  these 
orders,  and  that  the  vessel  was  accordingly  seized  in  the  name  of  his 
Catholic  Majesty  and  brought  into  port ;  that  her  crew  were  in 
consequence  made  prisoners,  and  that  her  cargo,  consisting  of  473 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  39 

skins,   including   203   which  had   been   put  on   board   her  from   the 
North-West  America,  was  seized. 

"That  Mr.  Colnett,  from  the  circumstances  of  his  capture,  became 
so  deranged  that  he  attempted  frequently  to  destroy  himself,  and 
that,  according  to  the  last  accounts  received,  the  state  of  his  mind 
was  such  as  to  render  him  unfit  for  the  management  of  any  business 
which  might  have  been  entrusted  to  his  care ;  that  in  this  melancholy 
situation,  however,  Don  Martinez,  notwithstanding  the  vessel  and 
cargo  had  before  been  formally  seized,  attempted  to  procure  from  him 
the  sale  of  the  copper,  of  which  a  principal  part  of  the  cargo  of  the 
Princess  Royal  had  been  composed,  and  that  such  sale  would  actually 
have  taken  place  had  not  the  other  officers  of  that  vessel,  seeing 
Colnett's  insanity,  prevented  it. 

"Your  memorialist  further  begs  leave  to  represent  that  the 
American  ship  Columbia,  intending  to  proceed  to  China,  the  crew 
of  the  North-  West  America  were  ordered  by  Don  Martinez  on  board 
her,  principally,  as  your  memorialist  understands,  for  the  purpose  of 
assisting  in  her  navigation  to  China ;  the  greater  part  of  her  crew, 
as  well  as  of  her  provisions,  having  been  previously  put  on  board  the 
Washington  in  order  that  she  might  be  enabled  to  continue  on  the 
coast. 

"That  the  Columbia  having  reduced  her  provisions  considerably 
from  the  supplies  she  had  spared  to  her  consort,  was  furnished  from 
the  Argonaut  by  order  of  Don  Martinez  with  what  was  necessary  for 
her  voyage,  said  to  be  intended,  however,  for  the  supply  of  the  North- 
West  America ;  that  previous  to  the  departure  of  the  Columbia, 
ninety-six  skins  were  also  put  on  board  her  to  defray  the  wages  of  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  North-West  America,  under  a  supposition 
that  their  late  employers  would  be  unable  to  liquidate  their  demands,, 
first  deducting,  however,  thirty  per  cent,  from  the  sales,  which  Don 
Martinez  had  agreed  should  be  paid  for  the  freight  on  the  said  skin& 
to  the  American  commanders. 

"That  the  Columbia  thus  supplied,  left  Nootka  Sound  accordingly,, 
and  proceeded  to  the  southward  ;  that  a  few  days  after  she  entered, 
Port  Cox,  where  she  was  joined  by  her  consort,  the  Washington,  from 
whom  she  received  a  considerable  number  of  skins,  conceived  to  be 
the  whole,  excepting  the  ninety-six  before  mentioned,  which  had 
been  collected  by  the  Spaniards  as  well  as  by  British  traders,  and 
with  which,  after  sparing  a  further  quantity  of  provisions  to  the 
Washington,  the  Columbia  proceeded  to  China,  where  she  arrived  on 
the  2nd  of  November,  and  landed  the  crew  of  the  North-West 
A  merica. 

"That  the  crew  of  the  North-West  America  saw  the  Argonaut 
proceed  as  a  prize  to  San  Bias  ;  that  her  officers  and  men,  who  were 
Europeans,  were  put  on  board  her  as  prisoners  ;  that  the  Princess 
Royal  was  shortly  to  follow  with  her  crew  in  confinement  in  the 
same  manner.  The  Washington,  on  joining  the  Columbia  in  Port 
Cox.  gave  information  that  the  Princess  Royal  had  also  sailed  for 
San  Bias. 


40  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

"  That  Don  Martinez  had  thought  tit,  however,  to  detain  the 
Chinese  and  had  compelled  them  to  enter  into  the  service  of  Spain, 
and  that  on  the  departure  of  the  Columbia  they  were,  employed  in 
the  mines,  which  had  then  been  opened  on  the  lands  which  your 
memorialist  had  purchased. 

"  Your  memorialist  begs  leave  to  annex  a  statement  of  the  actual 
as  well  as  the  probable  losses  which  he  and  his  associates  have 
sustained  from  the  unwarrantable  and  unjustifiable  proceedings  of 
Don  Martinez,  in  open  violation  of  the  treaty  of  peace  subsisting 
between  this  country  and  the  Court  of  Spain,  and  at  times  and  in 
situations  where,  according  to  the  common  laws  of  hospitality,  they 
might  have  expected  a  very  different  conduct. 

"Your  memorialist  therefore  most  humbly  begs  leave  to  submit 
the  case  of  himself  and  his  associates  to  the  consideration  of  the 
Government,  in  full  confidence  that  the  proper  and  necessary 
measures  will  be  taken  to  obtain  that  redress  which  he  and  his 
associates  have,  as  British  subjects,  a  right  to  expect. 

"  (Signed)     JOHN  MEARES. 

"LONDON,  30th  April,  1790." 

LOSSES  BY  CAPTAIN  MEARES. — The  statement  referred  to  in  the 
foregoing  memorial  places  the  actual  losses,  given  in  detail,  at 
$153,433,  and  the  probable  losses  at  $500,000. 

Prompt  action  was  taken  by  the  British  Government  relative  to 
the  high  handed  proceedings  of  the  Spaniards.  On  the  25th  of  May, 
1790,  the  following  message  from  his  Majesty  King  George  III., 
relative  to  the  capture  of  certain  vessels  by  the  Spaniards  in  Nootka 
Sound,  was  presented  to  both  Houses  of  Parliament : 

MESSAGE  FROM  KING  GEORGE  III. — "GEORGE  R.  His  Majesty 
has  received  information  that  two  vessels  belonging  to  his  Majesty's 
subjects,  and  navigated  under  the  British  flag,  and  two  others,  of 
which  the  description  is  not  hitherto  sufficiently  ascertained,  have 
been  captured  at  Nootka  Sound,  on  the  north-western  coast  of 
America,  by  an  officer  commanding  two  Spanish  ships  of  war ;  that 
the  cargoes  of  the  British  vessels  have  been  seized,  and  their  officers 
and  crews  have  been  sent  as  prisoners  to  a  Spanish  port. 

"  The  capture  of  one  of  these  vessels  had  before  been  notified  by 
the  ambassador  of  his  Catholic  Majesty,  by  order  of  his  court,  who 
at  the  same  time  desired  that  measures  might  be  taken  for  preventing 
his  Majesty's  subjects  from  frequenting  these  coasts,  which  were 
alleged  to  have  been  previously  occupied  and  frequented  by  the 
subjects  of  Spain.  Complaints  were  already  made  of  the  fisheries 
carried  on  by  his  Majesty's  subjects  in  the  seas  adjoining  to  the 
Spanish  continent,  as  being  contrary  to  the  rights  of  the  crown  of 
Spain.  In  consequence  of  this  communication,  a  demand  was 
immediately  made  by  his  Majesty's  order,  for  adequate  satisfac- 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  41 

tion,  and  for  the  restitution  of  the  vessel,  previous  to  any  other 
discussion. 

"By  answer  from  the  Court  of  Spain  it  appears  that  this  vessel 
and  her  crew  had  been  set  at  liberty  by  the  viceroy  of  Mexico;  but 
this  is  represented  to  have  been  done  by  him  on  the  supposition  that 
nothing  but  the  ignorance  of  the  rights  of  Spain  encouraged  the 
individuals  of  other  nations  to  come  to  these  coasts  for  the  purpose 
of  making  establishments,  or  carrying  on  trade,  and  in  conformity  to 
his  previous  instructions,  requiring  him  to  show  all  possible  regard  to 
the  British  nation.  No  satisfaction  is  made  or  offered,  and  a  direct 
claim  is  asserted  by  the  Court  of  Spain  to  the  exclusive  rights  of 
sovereignty,  navigation  and  commerce  in  the  territories,  coasts  and 
seas  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

"  His  Majesty  has  now  directed  his  minister  at  Madrid  to  make  a 
fresh  representation  on  this  subject,  and  to  claim  such  full  and 
adequate  satisfaction  as  the  nature  of  the  case  evidently  requires. 
And  under  these  circumstances  his  Majesty,  having  also  received 
information  that  considerable  armaments  are  carrying  on  in  the  ports 
of  Spain,  has  judged  it  indispensably  necessary  to  give  orders  for 
making  such  preparations  as  may  put  it  in  his  Majesty's  power  to 
act  with  vigor  and  effect  in  support  of  the  honor  of  his  crown  and 
the  interests  of  his  people.  And  his  Majesty  commends  it  to  his 
faithful  Commons,  on  whose  zeal  and  public  spirit  he  has  the  most 
perfect  reliance,  to  enable  him  to  take  such  measures  and  to  make 
such  augmentation  of  his  forces,  as  may  be  eventually  necessary  for 
this  purpose.  • 

"It  is  his  Majesty's  earnest  wish  that  the  justice  of  his  Majesty's 
demands  may  ensure  from  the  wisdom  and  equity  of  his  Catholic 
Majesty  the  satisfaction  which  is  so  unquestionably  due ;  and  that 
this  aflair  may  be  terminated  in  such  a  manner  as  may  prevent  any 
grounds  of  misunderstanding  in  future,  and  to  continue  and  confirm 
that  harmony  and  friendship  which  has  so  happily  subsisted  between 
the  two  courts,  and  which  his  Majesty  will  always  endeavor  to 
maintain  and  improve  by  all  such  means  as  are  consistent  with  the 
dignity  of  his  Majesty's  crown  and  the  essential  interests  of  his 
subjects.  G.  R," 

THE  HOUSE  OF  LORDS  APPROVED  TEIE  KING'S  MESSAGE. — On  the 
26th  May  an  "  humble  address  of  the  Right  Honorable  the  Lords 
Spiritual  and  Temporal,  in  parliament  assembled,"  was  passed, 
approving  of  his  Majesty's  message. 


42  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEE  III. 


EXTRAVAGANT  CLAIMS  OF  SPAIN. 

THE  SPANISH  REPLY. — The  Court  of  Spain  was  immediately  com- 
municated with.  This  brought  out  the  following  elaborate  document 
from  Count  Florida  Blanca,  the  Spanish  minister : 

MEMORIAL  OF  THE  COURT  OF  SPAIN,  delivered  June   13th,  1790,  to 
Mr.  Fitzherbert,  the  British  ambassador  at  Madrid  : 

"  By  every  treaty  upon  record  betwixt  Spain  and  the  other  nations 
of  Europe,  for  upwards  of  two  centuries,  an  exclusive  right  of 
property,  navigation  and  commerce  to  the  Spanish  West  Indies  has 
been  universally  secured  to  Spain,  England  having  always  stood 
forth  in  a  particular  manner  in  support  of  such  right. 

"  By  Article  8th  of  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht  (a  treaty  in  which  all 
the  European  nations  may  be  said  to  have  taken  part),  Spain  and 
England  profess  to  establish  it  as  a  fundamental  principle  of  agree- 
ment, that  the  navigation  and  commerce  of  the  West  Indies,  under  the 
dominion  of  Spain,  shall  remain  in  the  precise  situation  in  which  they 
stood  in  the  reign  of  his  Catholic  Majesty  Charles  II.,  and  that  rule 
shall  be  invariably  adhered  to,  and  be  incapable  of  infringement. 

"  After  this  maxim,  the  two  powers  stipulated  that  Spain  should 
never  grant  liberty  or  permission  to  any  nation  to  trade  or  introduce 
their  merchandise  into  Spanish  American  dominions,  nor  to  sell,  cede, 
or  give  up  to  any  other  nation,  its  lands,  dominions  or  territories,  or 
any  part  thereof.  On  the  contrary,  and  in  order  that  its  territories 
should  be  preserved  whole  and  entire,  England  offers  to  aid  and 
assist  the  Spaniards  in  re-establishing  the  limits  of  their  American 
dominions,  and  placing  them  in  the  exact  situation  they  stood  in  the 
time  of  his  said  Catholic  Majesty  Charles  II.,  if  by  accident  it  shall 
be  discovered  that  they  have  undergone  any  alteration  to  the  prejudice 
of  Spain,  in  whatever  manner  or  pretext  such  alteration  may  have 
been  brought  about. 

"  The  vast  extent  of  the  Spanish  territories,  navigation  and 
dominion  on  the  Continent  of  America,  isles  and  seas  contiguous  to 
the  South  Sea,  are  clearly  laid  down  and  authenticated  by  a  variety 
of  documents,  laws  and  formal  acts  of  possession  in  the  reign  of  King 
Charles  II.  It  is  also  clearly  ascertained,  that  notwithstanding  the 
repeated  attempts  made  by  adventurers  and  pirates  on  the  Spanish 
coasts  of  the  South  Sea  and  adjacent  islands,  Spain  has  still  preserved 
her  possessions  entire,  and  opposed  with  success  those  usurpations  by 
constantly  sending  her  ships  and  vessels  to  take  possession  of  such 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  43 

settlements.  By  these  measures  and  reiterated  acts  of  possession, 
Spain  has  preserved  the  dominion,  which  she  has  extended  to  the 
borders  of  the  Russian  establishments  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

"The  viceroys  of  Peru  and  New  Spain  having  been  informed  that 
these  seas  had  been,  for  some  years  past,  more  frequented  than 
formerly;  that  smuggling  had  increased;  that  several  usurpations 
prejudicial  to  Spain  and  the  general  tranquillity  had  been  suffered  to 
be  made,  they  have  orders  that  the  western  coasts  of  Spanish  America, 
and  islands  and  seas  adjacent  should  be  more  frequently  navigated 
and  explored. 

"  They  were  also  informed  that  several  Russian  vessels  were  upon 
the  point  of  making  commercial  establishments  upon  that  coast.  At 
the  time  that  Spain  demonstrated  to  Russia  the  inconveniences 
attendant  upon  such  encroachments,  she  entered  upon  the  negotiation 
with  Russia  upon  the  supposition  that  the  Russian  navigators  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  had  no  orders  to  make  establishments  within  the  limits 
of  Spanish  America,  of  which  the  Spaniards  were  the  first  possessors 
(limits  situated  within  Prince  William  Sound),  purposely  to  avoid  all 
dissentions,  and  in  order  to  maintain  the  harmony  and  amity  which 
Spain  wished  to  preserve. 

"The  Court  of  Russia  replied,  that  it  had  already  given  orders 
that  its  subjects  should  make  no  settlement  in  places  belonging  to 
other  powers  ;  and  that  if  those  orders  had  been  violated,  and  had 
any  been  made  in  Spanish  America,  they  desired  the  king  would  put 
a  stop  to  them  in  a  friendly  manner.  To  this  pacific  language  on 
the  part  of  Russia,  Spain  observed  that  she  could  not  be  answerable 
for  what  her  officers  might  do  at  that  distance,  whose  general  orders 
and  instructions  were  not  to  permit  any  settlements  to  be  made  by 
other  nations  an  the  Continent  of  Spanish  America. 

"  Though  trespasses  had  been  made  by  the  English  on  some  of  the 
islands  of  those  coasts,  which  had  given  rise  to  similar  complaints 
having  been  made  to  the  Court  of  London,  Spain  did  not  know 
that  the  English  had  endea\ored  to  make  any  settlements  on  the 
northern  part  of  the  Southern  Ocean,  till  the  commander  of  a  Spanish 
ship,  in  the  usual  tour  of  the  coasts  of  California,  found  two  American 
vessels  in  St.  Lawrence,  or  Nootka  Harbor,  where  he  was  going  for 
provisions  and  stores.  These  vessels  he  permitted  to  proceed  on  their 
voyage,  it  appearing  from  their  papers  that  they  were  driven  there  by 
distress,  and  only  came  in  to  refit. 

"He  also  found  there  the  Iphigenia  from  Macao,  under  Portuguese 
colors,  which  had  a  passport  from  the  governor  ;  and  though  he  came 
manifestly  with  a  view  to  trade  there,  yet  the  Spanish  admiral,  when 
he  saw  his  instructions,  gave  him  leave  to  depart  upon  his  signing  an 
engagement  to  pay  the  value  of  the  vessel,  should  the  Government  of 
Mexico  declare  it  a  lawful  prize. 

"  With  this  vessel  there  came  a  second,  which  the  admiral  detained, 
and  a  few  days  after,  a  third,  named  the  Argonaut,  from  the  above 
mentioned  place.  The  captain  of  this  latter  was  an  Englishman. 
He  came  not  only  to  trade,  but  brought  everything  with  him  proper 


44  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

to  form  a  settlement  there  and  to  fortify  it.  This,  notwithstanding 
the  remonstrances  of  the  Spanish  admiral,  he  persevered  in,  and  was 
detained,  together  with  his  vessel. 

"  After  him  came  a  fourth  English  vessel,  named  the  Princess 
Royal,  and  evidently  for  the  same  purposes.  She  likewise  was 
detained  and  sent  to  Port  St.  Bias,  where  the  pilot  of  the  Argonaut 
made  away  with  himself. 

"  The  viceroy,  on  being  informed  of  these  particulars,  gave  orders 
that  the  captain  and  vessels  should  be  released,  and  that  they  should 
have  leave  to  refit,  without  declaring  them  a  lawful  prize  ;  and  this 
he  did.  on  account  of  the  ignorance  of  the  proprietors,  and  the  friend- 
ship which  subsisted  between  the  Courts  of  London  and  Madrid. 

"  He  also  gave  them  leave  to  return  to  Macao  with  their  cargo, 
after  capitulating  with  them  in  the  same  manner  as  with  the  Portu- 
guese captain,  and  leaving  the  affair  to  be  finally  determined  by  the 
Count  de  Revillagigado,  his  successor,  who  also  gave  them  their  liberty. 

u  As  soon  as  the  Court  of  Madrid  had  received  an  account  of  the 
detention  of  the  first  English  vessel  at  Nootka  Sound,  and  before  that 
of  the  second  arrived,  it  ordered  its  ambassador  at  London  to  make  a 
report  thereof  to  the  English  minister,  which  he  did  on  the  10th  of 
February  last,  and  to  require  that  the  parties  who  had  planned  these 
expeditions  should  be  punished,  in  order  to  deter  others  from  making 
settlements  on  territories  occupied  and  frequented  by  the  Spaniards 
for  a  number  of  years. 

"  In  the  ambassador's  memorial,  mention  was  only  made  of  the 
Spanish  admiral  that  commanded  the  present  armament,  having 
visited  Nootka  Sound  in  1774,  though  that  harbor  had  been  frequently 
visited  both  before  and  since,  with  the  usual  forms  of  taking  possession. 
These  forms  were  repeated  more  particularly  in  the  years  1755  and 
1779,  all  along  the  coasts,  as  far  as  Prince  William's  Sound,  and  it 
was  these  acts  that  gave  occasion  to  the  memorial  made  by  the  Court 
of  Russia  as  has  been  already  noticed. 

"The  Spanish  ambassador 'at  London  did  not  represent  in  this 
memorial  at  that  time,  that  the  right  of  Spain  to  these  coasts  was 
conformable  to  ancient]  boundaries  which  had  been  guaranteed  by 
England  at  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  deem- 
ing it  to  be  unnecessary  ;  as  orders  had  been  given  and  vessels  had 
actually  been  seized  on  those  coasts  as  far  back  as  1692. 

';  The  answer  that  the  English  ministry  gave,  on  the  26th  of 
February,  was,  that  they  had  not  as  yet  been  informed  of  the  facts 
stated  by  the  ambassador,  and  that  the  act  of  violence,  mentioned  in 
his  memorial,  necessarily  suspended  any  discussion  of  the  claims 
therein,  till  an  adequate  atonement  had  been  made  for  a  proceeding 
so  injurious  to  Great  Britain. 

"  In  addition  to  this  haughty  language  of  the  British  minister,  he 
further  added,  that  the  ship  must  in  the  first  place  be  restored  ;  and 
that  with  respect  to  any  further  stipulations,  it  would  be  necessary 
to  wait  for  a  fuller  detail  of  all  the  circumstances  of  this  affair. 

"The  harsh  and   laconic   style  .in  which  this  answer   was   given, 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  45 

made  the  Court  of  Madrid  suspect  that  the  King  of  Great  Britain's 
ministers  were  forming  other  plans  ;  and  they  were  the  more  induced 
to  think  so,  as  there  were  reports  that  they  were  going  to  fit  out  two 
fleets,  one  for  the  Mediterranean  and  the  other  for  the  Baltic.  This 
of  course  obliged  Spain  to  increase  the  small  squadron  she  was 
getting  ready  to  exercise  her  marine. 

"The  Court  of  Spain  then  ordered  her  ambassador  at  London  to 
present  a  memorial  to  the  British  ministry,, setting  forth  that  though 
the  Crown  of  Spain  has  an  indubitable  right  to  the  continent,  islands, 
harbors  and  coasts  in  that  part  of  the  world,  founded  on  treaties  and 
immemorial  possession,  yet  the  viceroy  of  Mexico  had  released  the 
vessels  that  were  detained,  tlws  king  looked  upon  the  affair  as 
concluded,  without  entering  into  any  disputes  or  discussions  on 
the  undoubted  rights  of  Spain  ;  and  desiring  to  give  a  proof  of  his 
friendship  for  Great  Britain,  he  should  rest  satisfied  if  she  ordered 
that  her  subjects  in  future  respected  those  rights. 

"As  if  Spain,  in  this  answer,  had  laid  claim  to  the  empire  of 
that  ocean,  though  she  only  spoke  of  what  belonged  to  her  by 
treaties,  and  as  if  it  had  been  so  grievous  an  offence  to  terminate 
this  affair  by  restitution  of  the  only  vessel  which  was  then  known 
to  have  been  taken,  it  excited  such  clamor  and  agitation  in  the 
parliament  of  England  that  the  most  vigorous  preparations  for  war 
had  been  commenced  ;  and  those  powers  disinclined  to  peace,  charge 
Spain  with  designs  contrary  to  her  known  principles  of  honor  and 
probity  as  well  as  to  the  tranquillity  of  Europe,  which  the  Spanish 
monarch  had  in  view. 

"  While  England  was  employed  in  making  the  greatest  armaments 
and  preparations,  that  court  made  answer  to  the  Spanish  ambassador 
(upon  the  5th  of  May)  that  the  acts  of  violence  committed  against 
the  British  flag  'rendered  it  necessary  for  the  sovereign  to  charge 
his  minister  at  Madrid  to  renew  the  remonstrances  (being  the  answer 
of  England  already  mentioned),  and  to  require  that  satisfaction  which 
his  Majesty  thought  he  had  an  indisputable  right  to  demand.' 

"  To  this  was  added  a  declaration  not  to  enter  formally  into  the 
matter  until  a  satisfactory  answer  was  obtained ;  '  and  at  the  same 
time  the  memorial  of  Spain  should  not  include  in  it  the  question  of 
right,'  which  formed  a  most  essential  part  of  the  discussion. 

"The  British  administration  offer,  in  the  same  answer,  to  take 
the  most  effectual  and  pacific  measures  that  the  English  subjects 
shall  not  act  'against  the  just  and  acknowledged  rights  of  Spain,  but 
that  they  cannot  at  present  accede  to  the  pretensions  of  absolute 
sovereignty,  commerce  and  navigation  which  appeared  to  be  the 
principal  object  of  the  memorial  of  the  ambassador,  aud  that  the 
King  of  England  considers  it  as  a  duty  incumbent  upon  him  to 
protect  his  subjects  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  right  of  continuing  their 
fishery  in  the  Pacific  Ocean.' 

"If  this  pretension  is  found  to  trespass  upon  the  ancient  boundaries 
laid  down  in  the  reign  of  King  Charles  II.  and  guaranteed  by 


46  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

England  in  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht,  as  Spain  believes,  it  appears  that 
that  court  will  have  good  reason  for  disputing  and  opposing  this 
claim ;  an  1  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  equity  of  the  British 
administration  will  suspend  and  restrict  it  accordingly. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  foregoing  answer,  the  charge  d'affaires  from 
the  Court  of  London  at  Madrid  insisted,  in  a  memorial  of  the  IGth  of 
May,  on  restitution  of  the  vessel  detained  at  Nootka  and  the  property 
therein  contained;  of  an  indemnification  for  the  losses  sustained,  and 
on  a  reparation  proportioned  to  the  injury  done  to  the  English 
subjects  trading  under  the  British  flag,  and  that  they  have  an 
indisputable  right  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  free  and  uninterrupted 
navigation,  commerce  and  fishery;*  and  to  the  possession  of  such 
establishments  as  they  should  form  with  the  consent  of  the  natives 
of  the  country  not  previously  occupied  by  any  of  the  European 
nations. 

"An  explicit  and  prompt  answer  was  desired  upon  this  head,  in 
such  terms  as  might  tend  to  calm  the  anxieties  and  to  maintain  the 
friendship  subsisting  between  the  two  courts. 

"  The  charge  d'affaires,  having  observed  that  a  suspension  of  the 
Spanish  armaments  would  contribute  to  tranquillity  upon  the  terms 
to  be  communicated  by  the  British  administration,  an  answer  was 
made  by  the  Spanish  administration  that  the  king  was  sincerely 
inclined  to  disarm  upon  the  principles  of  reciprocity,  and  proportioned 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  two  courts,  adding  that  the  Court  of 
Spain  was  actuated  by  the  most  pacific  intentions  and  a  desire  to 
give  every  satisfaction  and  indemnification,  if  justice  was  not  on 
their  side,  provided  England  did  as  much  if  she  was  found  to  be  in 
the  wrong. 

"This  answer  must  convince  all  the  courts  of  Europe  that  the 
conduct  of  the  king  and  his  administrators  is  consonant  to  the 
invariable  principles  of  justice,  truth  and  peace. 

"  (Signed)    EL  CONDE  DE  FLORIDA  BLANCA." 

Mr.  FITZHERBERT  replied  as  follows  : 

"SiR, — In  compliance  with  your  Excellency's  desire,  I  have  now 
the  honor  to  communicate  to  you  in  writing  what  I  observed  to  you 
in  the  conversation  we  had  the  day  before  yesterday.  The  substance 
of  these  observations  are  briefly  these  : 

"  The  Court  of  London  is  animated  with  the  most  sincere  desire  of 
terminating  the  difference  that  at  present  subsists  between  it  and  the 
court  of  Madrid,  relative  to  the  port  of  Nootka  and  the  adjacent 
latitudes,  by  a  friendly  negotiation ;  but  it  is  evident,  upon  the 
clearest  principles  of  justice  and  reason,  that  an  equal  negotiation 
cannot  be  opened  till  matters  are  put  in  their  original  state  ;  and 
as  certain  acts  have  been  committed  in  the  latitudes  in  question 
belonging  to  the  royal  marine  of  Spain,  against  several  British 
vessels,  without  any  reprisals  having  been  made,  of  any  sort,  on  the 
part  of  Britain,  that  power  is  perfectly  in  the  right  to  insist,  as  a 
preliminary  condition,  upon  a  prompt  and  suitable  reparation  for 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  47 

those  acts  of  violence ;  and  in  consequence  of  this  principle,  the 
practice  of  nations  has  limited  such  right  of  reparation  to  three 
articles,  viz.,  the  restitution  of  the  vessels,  a  full  indemnification  for 
the  losses  sustained  by  the  parties  injured,  and,  finally,  satisfaction 
to  the  sovereign  for  the  insult  offered  to  his  flag  ;  so  that  it  is 
evident  that  the  actual  demands  of  my  court,  far  from  containing 
anything  to  prejudice  the  rights  or  dignity  of  his  Catholic  Majesty, 
amount  to  no  more,  in  fact,  than  what  is  constantly  done  by  Great 
Britain  herself,  as  well  as  every  other  maritime  power,  in  similar 
circumstances. 

"Finally,  as  to  the  nature  of  the  satisfaction  which  the  Court  of 
London  exacts  upon  this  occasion  and  to  which  your  Excellency 
appears  to  desire  some  explanation,  I  am  authorized,  sir,  to  assure 
you  that  if  his  Catholic  Majesty  consents  to  make  a  declaration  in 
his  name,  bearing  in  substance  that  he  had  determined  to  offer  to 
his  Britannic  Majesty  a  just  and  suitable  satisfaction  for  the  insult 
offered  to  his  flag,  such  offer  joined  to  a  restitution  of  the  vessels 
captured,  and  to  indemnify  the  proprietors,  under  the  conditions 
specified  in  the  official  letter  of  Mr.  Merry  on  the  16th  of  May,  will 
be  regarded  by  his  Britannic  Majesty  as  constituting  in  itself  the 
satisfaction  demanded  ;  and  his  said  Majesty  will  accept  of  it  as 
such  by  a  counter-declaration  on  his  part. 

"  I  have  to  add  that  as  it  appears  uncertain  if  the  vessels,  the 
North- West  America,  an  American  vessel,  and  the  Iphiyenia,  had 
truly  a  right  to  enjoy  the  protection  of  the  British  flag,  the  king  will 
with  pleasure  consent  that  an  examination  of  the  question,  as  well  as 
that  relative  to  the  just  amount  of  the  losses  sustained  by  his 
subjects,  may  be  left  to  the  determination  of  the  commissioners  to 
be  named  by  the  two  courts. 

"  Having  thus  recapitulated  to  your  Excellency  the  heads  of  what 
I  observed  to  you  in  conversation,  I  fatter  myself  you  will  weigh 
the  whole  in  your  mind  with  that  spirit  of  equity  and  moderation 
which  characterizes  you,  that  I  may  be  in  a  condition  of  sending  to 
my  court,  as  soon  as  possible,  a  satisfactory  answer  as  to  the  point 
contained  in  the  official  paper  sent  to  Mr.  Merry  on  the  4th  of  this 
month,  and  which  for  the  reasons  I  have  mentioned  cannot  be 
regarded  by  his  Britannic  Majesty  as  fulfilling  his  just  expectations. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  ALLEYNE  FITZHERBERT." 

SPAIN  AND  FRANCE — FAMILY  COMPACT.- -At  this  critical  juncture  in 
the  history  of  Spain,  in  virtue  of  the  Family  Compact  which  existed, 
France  came  forward  to  support  her  neighboring  ally  against  Great 
Britain.  On  the  16th  of  June,  Count  de  Fernan  Nunez,  Secretary 
of  the  Foreign  Department  of  France,  sent  a  despatch  from  Paris  to 
the  Court  of  London,  notifying  the  Government  of  Britain  of  the 
support  of  his  Government  to  the  claim  of  Spain  to  all  the  west 


48  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

coast  of  North  America,  as  far  north  as  the  61st  degree  of  latitude, 
in  Prince  William  Sound.  A  decree  was  passed  on  the  1st  of 
August  in  the  National  Assembly  of  France  on  behalf  of  the  Family 
Compact,  to  renew  former  treaties,  offensive  and  defensive,  with 
Spain,  giving  orders  that  the  French  marine  should  be  increased  to 
forty-five  ships  of  the  line,  with  a  proportionate  number  of  frigates 
and  other  vessels. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  WAR. — Spain  continued  to  make  preparations 
for  war,  but  depended  greatly  on  support  from  the  allied  powers. 
That'support,  however,  was  not  to  be  relied  on  to  the  extent  required. 
In  the  interim  the  ambassadors  were  engaged  in  discussing  the  ques- 
tion pro  and  con.  Couriers  were  constantly  employed  carrying 
despatches  between  Madrid  and  London.  Mr.  Fitzherbert  claimed 
for  Britain  the  right  to  trade  and  settle  on  any  part  of  the  coast  not 
actually  occupied.  The  Spanish  minister  proposed  to  admit  the  right 
north  of  latitude  51  degrees,  and  for  a  distance  of  twenty  leagues 
into  the  interior.  Subsequently  other  boundaries  were  suggested. 

BRITISH  PROPOSITIONS. — The  British  ambassador  consented  to  the 
line  of  40  north  latitude  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Missouri  River, 
beyond  which  line  the  territory  should  be  free  to  all  nations — the 
subjects  of  each  having  access  to  the  settlements  of  the  other.  The 
Spaniards  declined  that  proposition.  At  length,  on  the  28th  of 
October,  Mr.  Fitzherbert  submitted  a  new  proposition,  which  after 
discussion  and  modifications,  and  after  having  been  brought  before  a 
junta  of  high  Spanish  officials,  was  agreed  upon  by  both  plenipoten- 
tiaries. The  following  is  a  portion  of  the  document.  It  saved  Spain 
from  plunging  into  a  war  which  she  had  neither  credit  nor  money  to 
carry  on.  It  proceeds  : 

MR.  FITZHERBERT'S  PROPOSAL. — "Their  Britannic  and  Catholic 
Majesties,  being  desirous  of  terminating  by  a  speedy  and  solid  agree- 
ment, the  differences  which  have  lately  arisen  between  the  two 
crowns,  have  adjudged  that  the  best  way  of  obtaining  the  salutary 
object  would  be  that  of  an  amicable  arrangement,  which,  setting 
aside  all  retrospective  discussion  of  the  rights  and  pretensions  of  the 
two  parties,  their  true  interests,  as  well  as  to  the  mutual  desire  with 
which  their  said  majesties  are  animated,  of  establishing  with  each 
other,  in  everything  and  in  all  places  the  most  perfect  friendship, 
harmony  and  good  correspondence.  In  this  view  they  have  named 
(the  plenipotentiaries)  who  have  agreed  upon  the  following  articles  : 

"  ARTICLE  I. — It  is  agreed  that  the  buildings  and  tracts  of  land, 
situate  on  the  north-west  coast  of  the  Continent  of  North  America,  or 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  49 

.on  islands  adjacent  to  that  continent,  of  which  the  subjects  of  his 
Britannic  Majesty  were  dispossessed,  about  the  month  of  April, 
1789,  by  a  Spanish  officer,  shall  be  restored  to  the  said  British 
subjects. 

"  ARTICLE  II. — And  further  a  just  reparation  shall  be  made, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  case,  for  all  acts  of  violence  or  hostility, 
which  may  have  been  committed  subsequent  to  the  month  of  April, 
1789,  by  the  subjects  of  either  of  the  contracting  parties  against  the 
subjects  of  the  other  ;  and  that,  in  case  any  of  the  said  respective 
subjects  shall,  since  the  same  period,  have  been  forcibly  dispossessed 
of  their  lands,  buildings,  vessels,  merchandise,  and  other  property 
whatever,  on  the  said  continent,  or  on  the  seas  or  islands  adjacent, 
they  shall  be  re-established  in  the  possession  thereof,  or  a  just  com- 
pensation shall  be  made  to  them  for  the  losses  which  they  have 
sustained. 

"  ARTICLE  III. — And,  in  order  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of  friend- 
ship, and  to  preserve  in  future  a  perfect  harmony,  etc.,  it  is  agreed 
that  their  respective  subjects  shall  not  be  disturbed  or  molested,  either 
in  navigating  or  carrying  on  their  fisheries  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or  in 
the  South  Seas,  or  in  landing  on  the  coasts  of  those  seas,  in  places 
not  already  occupied,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  their  commerce 
with  the  natives  of  the  country,  or  of  making  settlements  there  ;  the 
whole  subject,  nevertheless,  to  the  restrictions  specified  in  the  three 
following  articles  : 

"ARTICLE  IV. — His  Britannic  Majesty  engages  to  take  the  most 
effectual  measures  to  prevent  the  navigation  and  fishery  of  his 
subjects  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or  in  the  South  Seas,  from  being  made 
a  pretext  for  illicit  trade  with  the  Spanish  settlements ;  and  with  this 
view,  it  is  moreover  expressly  stipulated  that  British  subjects  shall 
not  navigate,  or  carry  on  their  fishery  in  the  said  seas,  within  the 
space  of  ten  sea  leagues  from  any  part  of  the  coasts  already  occupied 
by  Spain. 

"  ARTICLE  V. — It  is  agreed,  that  as  well  in  the  places  which  are  to 
be  restored  to  the  British  subjects,  by  virtue  of  the  first  article,  as  in 
all  other  parts  of  the  north-western  coasts  of  North  America,  or  of 
the  islands  adjacent,  situated  to  the  north  of  the  parts  of  the  said 
coast  already  occupied  by  Spain,  wherever  the  subjects  of  either  of 
the  two  powers  shall  have  made  settlements  since  the  month  of  April, 
1789,  or  shall  hereafter  make  any,  the  subjects  of  the  other  shall 
have  free  access,  and  shall  carry  on  their  trade  without  any  disturb- 
ance or  molestation. 

"  ARTICLE  VI. — No  settlements  to  be  made  by  subjects  of  either 
power  on  coasts  and  islands  of  South  America,  south  of  parts  already 
occupied  by  Spain ;  yet,  subjects  of  both  powers  may  land  for 
purposes  of  fishery  and  of  erecting  temporary  buildings  serving  for 
those  purposes  only. 

"ARTICLE  VII. — In  all  cases  of  complaint  or  infraction  of  the 
articles  of  the  present  convention,  the  officers  of  either  party,  without 


50  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

permitting  themselves,  previously  to  commit  any  violence  or  act  of 
force,  shall  be  bound  to  make  an  exact  report  of  the  affair,  and  of  its 
circumstances  to  their  respective  courts,  who  will  terminate  such 
differences  in  an  amicable  manner. 

"  ARTICLE  VIII. — Convention  to  be  ratified  in  six  weeks  or  sooner 
from  date  of  signature.     (Signed,  etc.)     FITZHERBEBT  and  BLANCA." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NEW  DISCOVERIES  AND  EXTENSIVE  SURVEYS. 

CAPTAIN  GEORGE  VANCOUVER  APPOINTED. — To  carry  into  effect 
the  decision  relative  to  the  right  of  sovereignty  and  other  affairs  at 
Nootka,  which  had  just  been  agreed  on  and  accepted  by  Great 
Britain  and  Spain,  the  British  Admiralty 
selected  and  appointed  Lieutenant  GEORGE 
VANCOUVER  to  take  charge  of  an  expedition 
to  the  north-west  of  America.  His  commis- 
sion was  made  out  in  December,  1790,  requir- 
ing him  to  take  command  of  two  vessels  then 
fitting  out  for  the  purposes  mentioned,  and 
that  he  should  proceed  to  the  north-west 
coast  of  America,  there  to  be  placed  in  pos- 
session, by  the  Spaniards  residing  at  Nootka, 
of  the  districts  and  parcels  of  land  occupied 

CAPTA.X  GEORGE  VANCOUVER.       b?  his  Majesty's  subjects  in  1789;  and  also 
to  make  a  close  examination  of  the  coast  from 

latitude  30°  north  to  60°  north,  more  especially  with  respect  to  any 
water  communication  between  the  west  coast  and  the  country  upon 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Continent. 

QUALIFICATIONS  AND  CHARACTER  OF  VANCOUVER. — That  Captain 
Vancouver  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  discharge  of  the  important 
duties  included  in  his  commission  and  instructions,  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  having  joined  the  British  navy  in  1771,  when  only 
thirteen  years  of  age,  he  was,  by  his  good  conduct  and  efficiency, 
promoted  step  by  step,  from  "  able-bodied  seaman  "  to  midshipman, 
under  the  celebrated  navigator,  Captain  Cook,  on  the  ships  Resolution 
and  Discovery  ;  and  that  he  passed  as  lieutenant  in  October,  1780, 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  51 

under  certificates  from  Captains  Cook,  Gore,  Clerke  and  King ;  and 
that  on  account  of  his  excellent  character,  the  ordinary  delay  of 
promotion  was  dispensed  with  by  order  of  the  Admiralty.  He 
afterwards  served  as  lieutenant  under  Lord  Rodney  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  thus  gained  a  thoroughly  practical  training  and  nautical 
experience  of  about  twenty  years.  The  able  and  diplomatic  manner 
in  which  he  dealt  with  the  Spaniards  at  Nootka  is  proof  of  his  ability 
and  tact  in  that  respect,  whilst  the  extension  and  accurate  surveys 
which  were  subsequently  made,  showed  that  he  and  his  officers  were 
admirably  fitted  for  the  discharge  of  the  duties  assigned  to  them  in 
that  department  by  the  British  Admiralty. 

THE  OFFICERS  OF  THE  "DISCOVERY"  AND  "CHATHAM." — The  ships 
of  which  he  was  given  command  were  the  Discovery  and  Chatham; 
the  former  a  small,  ship-rigged  vessel  of  340  tons,  armed  with  ten 
4-pounders  and  ten  swivels;  the  latter,  a  brig  of  135  tons,  armed 
with  four  3-pounders  and  six  swivels.  The  swivels  were  small 
cannons  fitted  in  a  socket  in  the  bulwarks,  permitting  them  to  be 
turned  in  any  direction.  The  crew  of  the  Discovery  numbered,  in  all^ 
one  hundred  ;  the  crew  of  the  Chatham,  forty-five,  the  following  being 
the  officers  :  H.M.S.  Discovery — Captain,  George  Vancouver ;  First 
Lieutenant,  Zacheriah  Mudge ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Peter  Puget ; 
Third  Lieutenant,  Joseph  Baker ;  Master,  Joseph  Whidby ;  three 
master's  mates,  surgeon,  boatswain,  carpenter,  gunner,  and  six 
midshipmen.  H.M.S.  Chatham — Commander,  Lieutenant  W.  R. 
Broughton;  Lieutenant,  Jas.  Hanson;  Master,  Jas.  Johnstone;  two 
master's  mates,  surgeon,  boatswain,  gunner  and  four  midshipmen. 

THE  SHIPS  LEAVE  THE  THAMES,  1791. — The  ships  left  the  Thames 
on  January  26th,  1791,  and  Falmouth  on  April  1st,  taking  the  route 
via  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Captain  Vancouver  arrived  on  the  western 
ooast  of  Australia,  September  27th,  and  remained  on  that  coast  until 
October  23rd,  discovering  and  naming  certain  portions  which  had 
been  passed  by  Captain  Cook.  He  proceeded  via  Van  Diemen's  Land 
to  New  Zealand,  where  a  stay  was  made,  for  refitting,  from  the  2nd 
to  the  22nd  November,  in  Dusky  Bay.  The  vessels  then  sailed  for 
the  Society  Islands,  where  they  remained  until  January,  1792. 

AT  THE  SANDWICH  ISLANDS. — The  course  was  next  shaped  for  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  where  they  made  a  stay  until  the  16th  of  March. 
Sail  was  then  set  for  the  north-west  coast,  which  was  sighted  on  18th 
of  April,  in  latitude  39°  N.  Coasting  northwards,  at  daylight  April 
29th,  a  sail  was  sighted,  the  first  they  had  seen  for  eight  months. 


52  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

The  stranger  hoisted  United  States  colors,  and  fired  a  gun  to  the 
leeward.  On  being  spoken,  she  proved  to  be  the  ship  Columbia,  of 
Boston,  commanded  by  'Robert  Gray,  who  reported  having  been  nine 
days  off  the  mouth  of  a  large  river,  but  which  he  could  not  enter 
owing  to  strong  currents. 

CAPE  FLATTERY,  29TH  APRIL,  1792. — Captain  Vancouver  reached 
Cape  Flattery  by  noon  on  the  29th.  Proceeding  up  the  Straits  of 
Fuca,  the  Indian  village  of  Classett  was  noticed,  and  about  two  miles 
beyond  the  village  a  small  bay  with  a  little  island  lying  off  to  its 
eastern  side,  was  passed.  This  is  now  known  as  Neah  Bay.  The 
high  shores  of  the  northern  side  of  the  straits  could  only  be  indis- 
tinctly seen  through  the  rain,  and  the  weather  became  more 
unpleasant  as  the  day  advanced,  the  wind  veering  to  the  S.  E.  This 
obliged  the  vessel  to  keep  close  along  the  southern  shore,  and  at  seven 
in  the  evening  they  came  to  anchor,  one  mile  from  the  beach  and  in 
twenty-three  fathoms  of  water,  about  eight  miles  within  the  entrance 
of  the  straits. 

A  CENTURY  AFTERWARDS. — A  competent  navigator  and  a  modern 
writer  on  Vancouver's  centenary,  says :  "  The  following  morning, 
April  30th,  with  a  gentle  breeze  from  the  N.  W.,  clear  and  pleasant 
weather,  the  vessels  steered  to  the  eastward  at  a  distance  of  about 
two  miles  from  the  southern  shore.  At  noon  the  latitude  was 
observed  as  48°  19' north,  and  during  the  afternoon  the  delightful 
serenity  of  the  weather  and  the  smoothness  of  the  sea  enabled  lunar 
observations  to  be  taken  for  ascertaining  the  longitude.  From  these 
observations  the  position  of  Cape  Flattery  was  determined  as  48° 
23^'  N.,  and  125°  45'  W.  This  position  speaks  well  for  the  exactness 
of  Vancouver's  observations,  as  the  latitude  here  is  correct  and  the 
longitude,  the  great  bugbear  in  navigation  in  those  days,  only  23 '  too 
far  east.  In  many  other  instances  in  his  work  the  latitude  and  longi- 
tude of  notable  places  are  given,  and  in  nearly  all  the  latitude  is 
correct  and  the  longitude  not  deviating  more  than  15'  from  what  is 
assigned  to  those  positions  now.  Vancouver  had  three  chronometers 
with  him,  made  by  the  best  makers  of  the  day,  one  of  them  having  been 
previously  round  the  world  with  Captain  Cook.  However,  not  much 
confidence  could  be  placed  in  their  performance,  and  they  were 
principally  used  to  carry  on  one  set  of  lunar  observations  to  another. 
The  smallest  rate  was  a  gaining  one  of  21"  per  day  and  the  largest 
40",  very  large  rates  when  compared  with  good  chronometers  of  the 
present  day. 

MOUNT  BAKER. — "  As  the  day  advanced,  the  wind  and  weather, 
which  was  delightfully  pleasant,  accelerated  their  progress,  and  at 
five  in  the  afternoon,  a  very  low  sandy  spit  was  observed  projecting 
from  the  cliffy  shores  into  the  sea,  and  at  the  same  time  away  to  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  53 

north-eastward  a  high  conspicuous  mountain  was  seen  towering  above 
the  clouds  and  covered  with  snow.  As  the  third  lieutenant  was  the 
first  to  see  it,  the  mountain  was  named  in  honor  of  him  Mount  Baker. 
[This  officer  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  in  1794. — ED.]  Just 
inside  the  sandy  spit  the  vessels  anchored  for  the  night,  and  as  the 
low  point  bore  a  great  resemblance  to  Dungeness  in  the  British 
channel,  it  was  named  New  Dungeness. 

EXPLORATIONS  COMMENCED. — "Tuesday,  May  1,  1792,  was  ushered 
in  by  weather  delightfully  fine,  and  the  boats  of  the  Discovery  were 
got  out  for  explorations  along  the  coast.  They  returned  at  night 
with  the  knowledge  that  a  short  distance  farther  to  the  eastward  was 
a  large  bay  with  an  island  protecting  its  entrance,  and  to  this  bay 
the  ship  sailed  next  morning,  Vancouver  naming  it  Port  Discovery 
after  his  ship,  and  the  island  Protection  Island. 

THOROUGH  WORK  WAS  PERFORMED. — "  The  ships  securely  moored 
in  Port  Discovery,  the  boats  were  again  got  ready  for  explorations, 
and  on  the  morning  of  May  7  the  Discovery's  yawl,  with  Captain 
Vancouver,  the  launch,  Lieutenant  Puget,  and  the  Chatham's  cutter, 
Mr.  Johnstone,  left  for  the  eastward.  The  boats  separated  and  all  of 
them  rejoined  the  next  day,  having  made  the  circuit  of  a  very  safe 
and  more  capacious  harbor  than  Port  Discovery,  and  rendered  more 
pleasant  by  the  high  lands  being  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  water 
side.  To  this  port  was  given  the  name  of  Port  Townsend  in  honor 
of  the  noble  marquis  of  that  name. 

INLETS,  BAYS,  AND  BASINS. — "  By  the  end  of  the  month  an  exam- 
ination and  preliminary  survey  were  completed  of  those  hitherto 
unknown  inlets,  bays,  and  basins,  whose  shore  lines  are  now  known 
to  measure  1,800  miles.  Captain  Vancouver  named  that  wonderfully 
situated  branch  of  the  Pacific  Ocean — Puget  Sound — after  Mr.  Puget, 
one  of  his  lieutenants,  whose  assistance  in  tracing  its  sinuous  shores, 
he  says,  he  found  of  very  great  value. 

Two  SPANISH  VESSELS. — "On  completing  the  survey  of  Puget  Sound, 
Vancouver  continued  his  voyage  northward,  surveying  Burrard  Inlet, 
Howe  Sound,  etc.  In  an  inlet  near  Gray's  Point,  June  22,  he  found  two 
Spanish  vessels  of  forty-five  tons  burden,  with  twenty -four  men  each, 
under  command  of  Senor  Don  D.  Galiano,  and  Senor  Don  C.  Valdez, 
who  were  engaged  in  surveying  those  channels,  having  come  from 
Nootka  by  the  north  end  of  the  island.  They  received  Vancouver  with 
great  courtesy,  and  informed  him  that  at  Nootka  there  were  three 
Spanish  frigates  and  a  brig  awaiting  his  arrival.  They  gave  him  copies 
of  their  charts,  which  facilitated  his  voyage  northward.  He  rounded 
Cape  Scott,  the  north-west  point  of  Vancouver  Island,  on  the  25th, 
and  reached  Nootka  on  the  27th  of  August.  At  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor  he  was  met  by  a  Spanish  officer  and  a  pilot,  who  brought  the 
Discovery  to  anchor  near  where  '  His  Catholic  Majesty's'  brig  Active 
was  riding,  bearing  the  broad  pennant  of  Sen.  Don  Juan  Francisco 
de  la  y  Bodega  Quadra,  commandant  of  the  marine  establishment  of 
San  Bias  and  California." 


54  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

QUADRA  AND  VANCOUVER, — As  Senor  Quadra  lived  on  shore, 
Lieutenant  Puget  was  sent  to  acquaint  him  of  Vancouver's  arrival, 
and  to  inquire  if  a  royal  salute  to  the  flag  would  be  accepted.  A 
polite  reply  in  the  affirmative  was  returned,  and  a  salute  of  thirteen 
guns  exchanged.  Vancouver  afterwards  went  ashore  and  was 
received  with  great  cordiality.  Many  visits  were  exchanged  between 
Quadra  and  Vancouver.  The  situation  was  fully  discussed.  On  the 
one  hand  Vancouver  had  instructions,  in  accordance  with  the  first 
article  of  the  late  convention,  to  receive  from  Quadra  the  buildings 
and  tracts  of  land  of  which  British  subjects  had  been  dispossessed  in 
1789.  On  the  other  hand,  Quadra  desired  delay  as  he  had  not 
received  special  instructions  from  his  Government  on  the  subject. 
His  predecessor,  and  those  who  favored  his  views,  were  anxious  to 
shut  out  British  traders. 

DEATH  OF  QUADRA. — The  representatives  of  Britain  and  Spain 
continued  to  act  in  amity.  It  was  agreed  between  them  that  the 
whole  matter  relative  to  the  transfer  should  remain  in  abeyance  until 
further  instructions  were  received,  and  that  in  the  meantime  the 
large  island  which  Vancouver  had  just  circumnavigated,  should  for 
the  time  being  be  named  "  Quadra  and  Vancouver  Island."  Quadra 
and  his  fleet  left  Nootka  on  the  22nd  of  September,  1792,  for  his 
Mexican  headquarters  at  San  Bias  ;  and  Vancouver,  as  soon  as  he  had 
completed  arrangements  for  storing  supplies,  etc.,  left  Nootka  on  the 
12th  of  October  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  he  wintered.  Senor 
Quadra  died  the  following  March,  greatly  regretted  by  Captain  Van- 
couver. He  was  succeeded  by  General  Jose  Manuel  de  Alva,  who 
was  appointed  commander  of  the  San  Bias  establishment  and  as 
commissioner  at  Nootka. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  55 


CHAPTEK  V. 


IMPORTANT   STATE   PAPERS. 

FRESH  EVIDENCE. — Before  Vancouver  left  Nootka,  Mr.  Duffin 
(first  officer  on  the  Felice),  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  employed 
by  Captain  Meares,  opportunely  arrived  and  gave  evidence  as  follows. 
His  evidence  probably  formed  part  of  the  despatches  sent  by  Van- 
couver to  England  via  China  by  an  envoy.  It  furnished  direct  facts 
from  an  eye-witness  : 

To  Captain  George  Vancouver,  Commander  of  his  Britannic  Majesty's 
ships,  "Discovery"  and  "  Chatham"  now  lying  in  Friendly  Cove, 
King  George's  Sound. 

"  SIR, — Whereas  different  reports  have  been  propagated  relative  to 
what  right  Mr.  Meares  hnd  for  taking  possession  of  the  land  i  i 
Friendly  Cove,  Nootka  Sound,  I  shall  state  with  that  candor  and 
veracity  which  always  influence  me  on  such  occasions,  an  impartial 
account  of  Mr.  Meares's  proceedings  in  the  above  mentioned  port. 

"Toward  the  close  of  1787,  a  commercial  expedition  was  under- 
taken by  Henry  Cox,  Esq.,  &  Co.,  merchants,  then  residing  at  Macao, 
who  accordingly  fitted  and  equipped  two  ships  for  the  fur  trade  on 
the  north-west  coast  of  America.  The  management  of  this  expedi- 
tion was  reposed  in  John  Meares,  Esq.,  as  commander-in-chief  and 
sole  conductor  of  the  voyage,  and  who  was  likewise  one  of  the 
merchant  proprietors.  These  vessels  were  equipped  under  Portu- 
guese colors,  with  a  view  to  mitigate  those  heavy  port  charges 
imposed  on  ships  of  every  nation  (the  Portuguese  only  excepted), 
which  circumstance  is  well  known  to  all  commercial  gentlemen 
trading  in  that  part  of  the  world.  Under  those  circumstances  the 
said  vessels  fitted  out  in  the  name  and  under  the  firm  of  John 
Cavallo,  Esq.,  a  Portuguese  merchant  then  residing  at  -Macao.  He 
had  no  property  in  them  whatsoever — both  their  cargoes  being 
entirely  British  property  and  the  vessel  navigated  solely  by  the 
subjects  of  his  Britannic  Majesty. 

"  On  our  arrival  the  first  time  in  the  above  port  in  Nootka  Sound, 
which  was  in  May,  1788,  the  two  chiefs,  Maquilla  and  Calicum,  were 
absent.  On  their  return,  which  was  either  on  the  17th  or  the  18th 
of  the  same  month,  Mr.  Meares,  accompanied  by  myself  and  Mr. 
Robert  Funter,  second  officer,  went  on  shore  and  traded  with  the 
said  chiefs  for  the  whole  of  the  land  that  forms  Friendly  Cove,  in 


56  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

his  Britannic  Majesty's  name.  He  accordingly  bought  it  of  them 
for  eight  or  ten  sheets  of  copper  and  several  other  trifling  articles. 
The  natives  were  fully  satisfied  with  their  agreement.  The  chief  and 
likewise  the  people  did  homage  to  Mr.  Meares  as  their  sovereign, 
using  those  formalities  that  are  peculiar  to  themselves  and  which  Mr. 
Meares  has  made  mention  of  in  his  publication.  The  British  flag 
was  displayed  on  shore  at  the  same  time,  and  those  formalities  were 
used  as  is  customary  on  such  occasions,  and  not  the  Portuguese  flag 
as  has  been  insinuated  by  several  people  who  were  not  present 
at  the  time ;  consequently  they  advanced  those  assertions  without 
foundation. 

"On  taking  possession  of  the  cove  in  his  Britannic  Majesty's  name 
as  before  mentioned,  Mr.  Meares  caused  a  house  to  be  erected  on  the 
very  spot  where  the  Chatham's  tent  is  at  present,  it  being  the  most 
convenient  part  of  the  cove  for  our  intentions.  The  chiefs  with 
their  subjects  offered  to  quit  the  cove  entirely  and  reside  at  a  place 
called  Tashees,  and  leave  the  place  to  ourselves  as  entire  masters  and 
owners  of  the  whole  cove  and  lands  adjacent ;  consequently  we  were 
not  confined  merely  to  that  spot  but  had  full  liberty  to  erect  a  house 
in  any  other  part  of  the  cove,  but  chose  the  spot  we  did  for  the  above 
mentioned  reason. 

"  Mr.  Meares  appointed  Mr.  Robert  Funter  to  reside  in  the  house, 
which  consisted  of  three  chambers  for  the  officers,  and  the  proper 
apartments  for  the  men,  and  a  mess-room.  The  said  apartments 
were  elevated  about  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and  under  these  were 
apartments  for  keeping  our  stores  in.  Exclusive  of  these  were  sheds 
and  outhouses  for  the  convenience  of  the  artificers  to  work  in.  On 
Mr.  Meares's  departure  the  house  was  left  in  good  condition,  and  he 
enjoined  Maquilla  to  take  care  of  it  until  his  return  or  any  of  his 
associates  on  the  coast  again. 

"  It  has  been  reported  that  on  the  arrival  of  Don  Jose  Estevan 
Martinez  in  the  cove,  there  was  not  the  least  vestige  of  the  house 
remaining.  However  that  might  be,  I  cannot  say,  as  I  was  not  at 
Nootka  at  the  time. 

"On  our  return  in  July,  1789,  in  the  said  cove,  we  found  it 
occupied  by  the  subjects  of  his  Catholic  Majesty.  There  was  like- 
wise some  people  belonging  to  the  ship  Columbia,  commanded  by  Mr. 
John  Kendrick,  under  the  flag  and  protection  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  who  had  their  tents  and  outhouses  erected  on  the  same 
spot  on  which  our  house  formerly  stood,  but  I  saw  no  remains  of  our 
former  architecture. 

"  We  found  lying  in  the  cove,  at  anchor,  his  Catholic  Majesty's 
ships  Princessa  and  Don  Carlos  ;  likewise  the  ship  Columbia  and 
sloop  Washington ;  and  the  second  day  after  our  arrival  in  the 
Argonaut,  we  were  captured  by  Don  Jose  Estevan  Martinez.  The 
Americans  were  suffered  to  carry  on  their  commerce  unmolested. 

"  This  is  the  best  information  I  can  give  you  that  might  tend  to 
elucidate  the  propriety  of  Mr.  Meares  taking  possession  of  the  village 
of  Nootka  and  Friendly  Cove. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  57 

"Should  anyone  doubt  the  truth  of  this  protest,  I  am  always 
ready  to  attest  it  before  any  court  of  jurisdiction,  or  any  peison  duly 
authorized  to  examine  me. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  greatest  esteem,  etc., 

"  (Signed)     ROBT.  DUFFIN. 

"That  the  above  was  the  identical  truth,  was  sworn  before  me 
this  21st  September,  1792. 

"  (Signed)     GEO.  VANCOUVER." 

COMMISSIONERS  APPOINTED. — On  behalf  of  Spain,  Don  Manuel  de  la 
Heras  was  appointed  a  commissioner  to  determine  the  amount  of 
losses  to  be  paid  to  British  subjects  as  compensation  for  their  losses 
caused  by  the  seizure  of  their  vessels,  etc.,  in  1789.  Mr.  Rudolph 
Woodford  was  appointed  on  behalf  of  Great  Britain.  They  met  at 
Whitehall,  London,  and  agreed  that  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  dollars  in  coin,  should  be  paid  by  Spain  in  full  of  all  claims. 
The  agreement  was  signed  on  the  12th  of  February,  1793.  Bancroft, 
in  his  history  of  the  North-West  Coast,  states  it  was  ratified  the 
same  day  by  the  British  monarch.  He  adds  sneeringly  :  "  Presum- 
ably the  money  was  paid  without  delay,  greatly  to  the  satisfaction  of 
Meares  and  his  associates,  who  if  they  got  half  the  amount  named, 
though  their  original  claim  had  been  six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  had  every  reason  to  be  content." 

BANCROFT'S  BIAS. — The  historian  just  quoted,  when  dealing  with 
British  affairs,  displays  a  marked  bias  and  anti-British  feeling.  A 
similar  spirit  appears  to  have  existed  amongst  the  fur  traders  from 
Boston,  011  their  arrival  at  the  west  coast.  They  seemed  ready  to 
enter  into  league  with  Martinez,  who  accommodatingly  gave  them 
supplies  from  the  British  ships  he  had  seized  ;  and  from  their  sea-otter 
skins  he  deducted  30  per  cent.,  for  freight  after  appropriating  a  dozen 
of  the  best  skins  for  his  own  use.  The  folio  wing  paragraphs  from  the 
same  author  are  rather  suggestive  : 

BOSTON  TRADERS  VERY  FRIENDLY  WITH  THE  SPANIARDS. — "The 
Columbia  arrived  the  day  after  Meares's  departure,  and  the  Americans, 
eager  to  get  rid  of  their  rivals  in  trade,  gladly  aided  in  the  prepara- 
tions for  departure.  The  house  on  shore,  if  we  may  credit  Gray  and 
Ingraham,  was  demolished,  part  of  the  material  being  put  on  board 
the  English  vessels,  and  the  rest  given  to  Captain  Kendrick.  Cap- 
tain Kendrick's  vessel  wintered  at  Nootka.  .  .  .  Just  outside 
the  entrance  of  the  sound,  Martinez  met  Gray,  of  the  Washington, 
and  in  a  friendly  interview  made  many  inquiries  about  the  vessels 
within,  and  announced  his  intention  of  capturing  the  English  craft. 
.  .  .  Martinez  went  up  the  sound  to  spend  a  few  days  with 


58  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

Kendrick.  .  .  .  The  Englishmen  suspected  that  Kendrick  had 
instigated  the  seizure ;  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  he  did  so,  at  least 
to  the  extent  of  putting  the  Iphigenias  peculiar  papers  in  their  worst 
light,  and  encouraging  the  Spaniards'  worst  suspicions.  . 

THEY  WERE  NOT  INTERFERED  WITH. — "  It  has  already  been 
noticed  that  throughout  this  whole  affair  relations  between  the 
Spaniards  and  Americans  were  so  friendly  as  to  suggest  a  secret 
understanding.  There  was  not  the  slightest  interference  with  the 
Columbia,  or  Washington,  though  Martinez  could  hardly  have  been 
unaware  of  the  orders  issued  in  Mexico  for  the  seizure  of  those  very 
vessels,  if  they  should  enter  a  Spanish  port.  It  was  afterwards 
stated  that  the  Columbia  was  detained  until  some  doubtful  expressions 
in  her  papers  had  been  explained,  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  such 
was  the  case.  Martinez's  interview  with  Gray  and  visit  to  Kendrick 
just  before  the  seizure  of  the  Iphigenia,  as  I  have  said,  caused  Cap- 
tain Douglas  to  suspect,  very  naturally,  that  the  Americans  had 
instigated  the  act,  though  Captain  Kendrick  denied  it.  Subsequently 
a  close  intimacy  continued  ;  interviews  were  frequent ;  American 
officers  were  companions  and  witnesses  for  the  Spaniards  in  all  their 
transactions  with  the  English  ;  Mr.  Coolidge  took  charge  of  one  of 
the  prizes  for  a  trading  cruise,  presumably  on  joint  account.  Captain 
Gray  willingly  carried  the  captive  men  and  stores  to  China  ;  the 
Americans  became  later  most  friendly  witnesses  in  defence  of  Mar- 
tinez's acts.  It  by  no  means  follows,  however,  that  the  Americans 
took  any  dishonorable  advantage  of  the  quarrel.  Their  own  interests 
and  duty  to  their  owners  required  them  to  get  rid  of  rival  traders 
and  to  secure  Spanish  protection  for  their  own  enterprise  :  legally, 
the  Spaniards  were  prima  facie  in  the  right,  and  their  opponents  in 
the  wrong  ;  and  I  know  of  no  reason  why,  under  the  circumstances, 
sympathy  should  have  been  contrary  to  interest.  Individually,  and  in 
the  disposition  of  property,  there  may  have  been  instances  of  dishonor- 
able action  on  the  part  of  both  Americans  and  Spanish  ;  Vmt  the 
testimony  is  not  sufficient  for  a  conclusion  on  that  point." 

ELISA  SUCCEEDED  MARTINEZ. — Nootka,  after  the  recall  of  Martinez 
in  1791,  was  placed  in  charge  of  Commander  Elisa,  who  had  a  fort 
built  and  the  old  fortification  restored.  When  Captain  Kendrick 
returned  from  his  trip  to  China  he  landed  in  the  north  at  Barrel 
Sound,  Queen  Charlotte  Island.  There  he  had  a  skirmish  with  the 
natives.  He  repulsed  them,  killing  a  large  number  and  carrying 
away  their  furs.  Coming  south  to  Nootka  he  appears  to  have 
fallen  into  disrepute  with  the  new  commander,  as  after  reaching  his 
old  anchorage  some  distance  along  the  cove  beyond  the  fort,  he  was 
ordered  not  to  trade  or  anchor  in  Spanish  ports.  He  obeyed  and 
left  next  morning,  by  the  northern  passage,  with  his  cargo  of  eight 
hundred  sea-otter  skins,  preferring  not  to  risk  a  second  exposure  to 
the  guns  of  the  fort. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  59 

KEXDRICK  PURCHASES  LANDS. — He  proceeded  to  Clayoquot  where 
he  procured  an  additional  number  of  skins,  and  is  said  to  have 
purchased  large  tracts  of  land  in  the  Nootka  region  from  the  chiefs 
Maquinna  and  Wicananish.  Bancroft,  in  a  foot-note  of  considerable 
length,  gives  a  list  of  the  deeds.  The  areas  of  land  embraced  in  them 
were  estimated  to  include  about  240  square  miles  (153,600  acres). 
Those  purchases  or  grants  from  the  natives  were  never  realized  or 
acted  upon,  although  as  late  as  1840  the  subject  was  revived  and 
brought  before  Congress,  but  without  any  satisfactory  results  to  the 
heirs  of  Kendrick. 

SURVEYS  OF  1793. — After  spending  the  winter  at  the  Sandwich 
Islands  as  he  proposed,  Vancouver  returned  to  Nootka  in  the  spring 
of  1793.  He  only  remained  there  three  days.  The  Chatham  was 
then  commanded  by  Peter  Puget,  who  was  promoted  from  the  third 
lieutenancy  of  the  Discovery  to  nil  the  vacancy  caused  by  Captain 
Broughton's  absence  as  special  envoy  to  London.  No  despatches 
having  arrived  for  Vancouver,  he  proceeded  on  a  northern  cruise  to 
continue  his  survey  along  the  mainland,  from  where  it  had  been 
discontinued  the  former  season.  The  Spanish  occupants  at  Nootka 
had  passed  the  winter  in  erecting  a  small  fort  on  Hog  Island,  on 
which  they  mounted  eleven  guns — 9-pounders.  An  earthquake  is 
recorded  to  have  taken  place  there  on  the  17th  of  February.  In 
May,  Fidelgo  was  succeeded  in  his  command  by  Alferez  Ramon 
Saavedra,  who  arrived  from  Sari  Bias  in  the  San  Carlos,  whicli 
replaced  the  Princessa. 

THE  FUR  TRADE  ALONG  THE  COAST  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
as  brisk  in  1793  as  in  1792.  Several  British  vessels,  however,  were 
seen  by  Vancouver  during  his  summer's  survey.  The  islands  and  the 
wonderful  inlets  and  canals  of  the  mainland  were  carefully  surveyed. 
A  complete  chart  of  these  islands  and  of  the  east  side  of  Queen 
Charlotte  Island  was  made,  and  as  the  Discovery  and  Chatham 
returned  south  by  the  west  or  outside  of  the  island,  Captain 
Vancouver  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  correct  bearings.  He 
arrived  at  Nootka  on  the  5th  of  October,  and  was  received  by  Senor 
Saavedra,  in  charge  of  the  port,  with  usual  ceremonies  and  salutes. 
As  no  despatches  had  arrived  from  England  for  him,  after  three  days 
he  sailed  for  Monterey,  en  route  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  to  winter 
there. 


60 


HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 


MACKENZIE'S  OVERLAND  JOURNEY. 

ANOTHER  GREAT  EXPLORER. — Whilst  Vancouver  was  engaged  in 
making  his  survey  northward  from  Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  another 
explorer  was  making  his  way  from  the  east  overland  to  the  Pacific 
coast.  This  was  ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE,  a 
native  of  Stornoway,  Scotland,  who  emigrated 
to  Canada  about  the  year  1779.  On  his 
arrival  in  Montreal,  he  entered  the  service  of 
Mr.  Gregory,  an  extensive  fur  dealer.  In 
this  employment  he  continued  for  five  years, 
and  afterwards  for  a  short  time  carried  on 
business  on  his  own  account.  When  the 
North-West  Fur  Company  was  formed,  he 
became  one  of  the  partners.  After  much 
experience  and  successful  dealing  with  the 
natives,  we  find  him,  in  1789,  at  Fort  Chipe- 
weyan,  on  Lake  Athabasca  or  Lake  of  the 
Hills,  near  the  north-eastern  limit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This 
fort  was  then  the  principal  western  trading-post  belonging  to  the 
Company. 

His  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE. — Mackenzie  is  described  as  being 
possessed  of  a  vigorous  mind  and  a  fine  physique.  In  form,  he  was  of 
medium  stature  and  of  square,  muscular  build,  very  strong,  lithe  and 
active,  and  capable  of  enduring  great  fatigue.  His  features  were 
regular,  eyes  bright  and  searching,  nose  and  mouth  Grecian, 
and  his  forehead  high,  intellectual  and  crowned  with  dark,  wavy 
hair.  Firmness  and  weight  marked  the  man  in  every  attitude  and 
expression.  Lips,  chin  and  facial  illumination,  all  implied  the 
possession  of  a  will  which  would  never  rest  satisfied  until  its  purposes 
were  accomplished.  In  thought,  he  was  as  refined  and  noble  as 
in  outward  expression  he  was  dignified.  His  energy  was  mild ; 
not  of  the  impatient,  fretful  order,  and  therefore  well  suited  to  his 
self-imposed  task.  His  large,  gentle  eyes  imparted  to  his  decisive 


ALEXANM)ER   MACKENZIE. 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  61 

features  a  suavity  of  expression  of  the  utmost  importance  to  him  in 
dealing  not  only  with  his  own  men,  who  were  sometimes  inclined  to 
be  mutinous,  but  also  with  affrighted  savages,  who  in  him  beheld  the 
first  white  man  they  had  ever  seen. 

His  QUALIFICATIONS  AND  ENTERPRISE. — Such  a  noble  character, 
doubtless,  was  Alexander  Mackenzie.  His  was  a  mind  bent  on 
enterprise,  and  filled  with  zeal  for  the  benefit  of  his  partners  in  trade 
and  with  a  desire  for  the  well-being  of  mankind  in  general.  He 
knew  the  extent  of  the  great  Saskatchewan  River  and  its  outlets 
through  Lake  Winnipeg  and  the  Nelson  River  in  Hudson  Bay ;  and 
he  determined  to  know  all  that  could  be  known  of  the  great  river  of 
the  north,  which,  flowing  out  of  Great  Slave  Lake,  connected  with 
Athabasca  Lake  and  Peace  River.  He  resolved  to  explore  its  length 
as  far  as  practicable.  It  might  be  that  his  efforts  would  be  the 
means  of  solving  the  problem  of  a  northern  water  communication 
between  the  Pa9ific  and  Atlantic  Oceans.  He  weighed  the  matter 
thoroughly,  and  with  the  consent  of  his  partners  formed  an  expedition 
in  1789,  consisting  of  four  Canadians,  two  of  whom  were  accom- 
panied by  their  wives,  and  a  German.  An  Indian  and  his  two  wives, 
in  a  small  canoe,  formed  part  of  the  expedition,  also  two  young 
Indians  in  another  small  canoe.  Those  men  were  engaged  to  serve 
in  the  twofold  capacity  of  interpreters  and  hunters. 

EXPLORED  MACKENZIE  RIVER. — Leaving  Fort  Chipeweyan,  on  the 
south  side  of  Athabasca,  or  the  Lake  of  the  Hills,  he  crossed  that 
lake  with  his  party,  and  joining  Peace  River  at  Salt  Springs,  followed 
the  river  to  Great  Slave  Lake.  Crossing  that  lake  diagonally  to  the 
west  corner,  he  debouched  into  the  great  river  of  the  north  and 
followed  it  to  its  outlets  in  the  Arctic,  or  Frozen  Ocean.  The  party 
were  obliged  to  put  up  with  considerable  hardships  during  the  trip, 
which,  including  the  return,  occupied  one  hundred  and  two  days,  but 
without  any  loss  of  life  or  any  serious  difficulty  with  the  natives. 
After  the  expedition  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  north,  they  met 
tribes,  though  not  numerous,  who  had  never  seen  a  white  man 
before.  The  river  which  Mackenzie  had  explored  he  named  after 
himself,  "  Mackenzie  River,"  a  name  which  it  still  bears.  From 
what  he  had  seen  in  his  journey  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  it  was  evident, 
he  concluded,  that  no  navigable  water  channel  could  exist  between 
the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic  Oceans  farther  north  than  the  outlet  of 
Mackenzie  River  in  the  Arctic  Ocean ;  he  therefore  resolved  to  find 
a  route  westward  across  the  Continent  direct  to  the  Pacific,  by  way 


62  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

of  Peace  River   as   far   as  the  watershed  or   height   of   land    which 
formed  the  head  waters  of  that  river. 

HE  CONSULTED  HIS  PARTNERS. — In  Montreal,  shortly  afterwards, 
he  consulted  his  partners,  and  pointed  out  to  them  the  advantages 
which  must  follow  by  the  extension  of  their  trade  westward  to  the 
Pacific.  He  proposed  to  visit  London  to  ascertain  from  the  reports 
of  the  latest  discoveries  by  Captains  Cook,  Meares,  and  others,  the 
corresponding  latitude  and  longitude  with  Fort  Chipeweyan  and 
Peace  River  ;  and  by  studying  astronomy  and  navigation,  he  could 
so  shape  his  course  and  record  his  journeys  and  location  that 
permanent  advantages  would  be  secured.  They  approved  of  his 
proposition  and  he  proceeded  to  London,  where  he  was  well  received 
and  afforded  every  opportunity  to  obtain  the  required  information 
and  instruction.  Being  an  apt  student,  he  was  not  very  long  in 
acquiring  the  knowledge  of  which  he  was  in  quest. 

THE  WESTERN  JOURNEY. — In  1792,  we  find  Mr.  Mackenzie, 
returned  from  England,  after  having  crossed  and  recrossed  the 
Atlantic  and  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Continent  of  America,  again 
at  Fort  Chipeweyan  and  prepared  to  embark  on  his  proposed  western 
journey  over  the  unknown  portion  of  the  North  American  continent. 
On  the  10th  of  October  he  left  Fort  Chipeweyan  and  proceeded  again 
northerly  across  Lake  Athabasca  to  Peace  River.  This  time  he 
turned  westward  up  stream,  with  the  intention,  before  the  frost  set 
in,  of  reaching  the  most  westerly  of  the  trading  establishments  which 
then  occupied  Peace  River — they  extended  along  the  river  a  distance 
of  about  two  hundred  miles.  He  intended  to  winter  there  and  prepare 
for  a  start  as  soon  as  spring  would  open.  This  he  accomplished, 
arriving  at  New  Establishment  Post  on  the  20th  of  October. 

THE  WINTERING  PLACE. — By  the  1st  of  November  lie  reached  the 
proposed  wintering  place  at  Fort  Fork,  a  short  distance  west  of 
where  the  east  branch  of  Peace  River  joins  the  main  river.  To  this 
point  Mackenzie  had  sent  forward  two  men  early  in  the  season, 
to  clear  the  ground  and  prepare  square  timber  for  buildings  and 
palisades  for  an  enclosure.  Tents  were  used  by  Mr.  Mackenzie  and 
party  until  the  buildings  were  completed,  which  they  were  not  until 
the  23rd  of  December.  The  cold  by  that  time  was  intense.  Food 
and  firewood,  however,  were  in  abundance,  so  time  wore  the  winter 
away  not  unpleasantly.  No  sooner  was  the  river  clear  of  ice  in  the 
spring,  than  Mr.  Mackenzie  records  he  "  closed  the  year's  business  by 
writing  up  his  accounts,  and  despatching  six  fur-laden  canoes  to  Fort 
Chipeweyan." 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  6^ 

ALEXANDER  MACKAY,  OF  RKAY.  —  All  things  being  in  readiness,  on 
the  9th  of  May,  1793,  Mackenzie  and  his  party  embarked  in  one 
canoe,  which  is  described  as  being  "  twenty-five  feet  long,  with  four 
and  three-quarters  feet  beam  and  twenty-six  inches  hold."  This 
small  vessel  was  all  that  was  provided  to  carry  the  whole  party, 
numbering  ten  persons,  "  with  all  their  equipage,  arms,  ammunition, 
provisions,  goods  for  presents,  and  baggage,  in  weight  not  less  than 
three  thousand  pounds,  yet  was  so  slight  that  two  men  could  easily 
carry  her  three  or  four  miles  without  stopping  to  rest."  The  principal 
man  of  the  expedition,  next  to  the  leader,  was  Alexander  Mackay,  a 
native  of  Reay,  Sutherland  shire,  Scotland.  This  young  man  was  an 
expert  boatman  and  hunter,  and  shared  the  responsibility  throughout 
with  Mackenzie.  He  divided  keeping  night  watches  with  his  leader, 
when  amongst  natives  who  could  not  safely  be  relied  on. 

DIFFICULT  NAVIGATION. — During  the  first  nine  or  ten  days,  navi- 
gation, although  against  a  strong  current,  was  comparatively  easy. 
On  the  north-western  bank  of  the  stream  vast  herds  of  elk  were 
feeding  and  great  numbers  of  buffalo,  with  their  young  frisking 
around  them.  Mackenzie,  describing  the  country,  says  :  "  This 
magnificent  theatre  of  nature  had  all  the  decorations  which  the  trees 
and  animals  of  the  country  can  afford,  and  displayed  an  exuberant 
verdure.  Trees  which  bear  blossom  were  advancing  fast  to  that 
delightful  appearance,  and  the  velvet  rind  of  their  branches  reflecting 
the  oblique  rays  of  a  rising  or  setting  sun,  added  a  splendid  gaiety  to 
the  scene."  As  the  current  increased  it  was  necessary  to  use 
propelling  poles  more  than  paddles.  Rapids  and  cascades  now 
became  frequent,  and  sharp  rocks  threatened  destruction  to  the 
canoe.  On  both  sides  of  the  river  the  banks  were  more  steep.  A 
band  of  Rocky  Mountain  Indian  hunters  were  met  at  this  point. 
They  seemed  distressed  at  parting  with  their  two  friends,  who  went 
as  interpreters  along  with  the  expedition.  Mackenzie  assured  them 
that  in  three  moons  they  would  return  to  them.  As  the  party 
proceeded,  the  route  became  more  difficult.  Their  boat  in  some 
places  had  to  be  pulled  up  by  the  men  laying  hold  of  the  overhanging 
branches,  in  other  places  by  pulling  on  ropes  fastened  to  trees ; 
sometimes  trees  had  to  be  cut  down  to  afford  a  footing  along  the 
bank  of  the  river. 

HEAD  WATERS  OF  PEACE  RIVER. — Not  far  from  the  head  waters 
of  Peace  River,  the  expedition  encountered  a  band  of  Rocky 
Mountain  Indians  who  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  white  men.  They 


64  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

returned,  however,  when  assured  by  the  interpreters  that  the  party 
were  friendly.  With  great  persuasion  and  not  a  few  presents,  one 
of  the  natives  consented  to  accompany  the  party  as  guide,  as  he 
appeared  to  have  some  knowledge  of  the  rivers  and  country  beyond 
the  height  of  land  which  they  were  now  approaching.  Proceeding 
slowly  and  toilsomely,  they  came  to  a  lake  two  miles  in  length,  at 
the  upper  end  of  which  they  landed  and  unloaded.  This  was  the 
12th  of  June,  1793.  Mackenzie,  in  his  journal,  says  :  "  This  I  con- 
sider as  the  highest  and  southernmost  source  of  the  TJnjigah  or  Peace 
River,  latitude  54°  24'  north,  longitude  121°  west  of  Greenwich, 
which,  after  a  winding  course  through  a  vast  extent  of  country, 
receiving  many  large  rivers  in  its  progress  and  passing  through  Slave 
Lake,  empties  itself  into  the  Frozen  Ocean  in  70°  north  latitude  and 
about  135°  west  longitude."  This  point  might  with  propriety  be 
called  the  source  of  the  Mackenzie  River,  as  he  had  explored  both 
rivers  from  their  sources  to  outlets. 

LAKES  AND  PORTAGES. — A  portage  over  a  low  ridge  of  land,  along 
a  beaten  path  for  eight  hundred  and  seventeen  paces,  had  now  to 
be  made.  Another  small  lake  was  then  reached,  on  which  they 
embarked.  Thence  they  entered  Bad  River,  from  which,  on  account 
of  its  shallowness  and  rocky  bottom,  they  were  obliged  to  land, 
unload  and  encamp.  They  now  had  begun  to  navigate  down  stream, 
which  is  far  more  dangerous  in  canoe  navigation  than  ascending 
unknown  streams  on  which  are  frequent  rapids  and  cascades.  A 
road  had  to  be  cut  to  portage  around  the  rapid.  On  launching 
again,  the  swift  current  caught  the  canoe  and  drove  it  broadside 
upon  a  bar.  All  hands  jumped  into  the  icy  cold  stream,  which 
so  lightened  the  canoe  as  to  enable  it  to  clear  the  bar.  The 
men,  clinging  to  the  craft,  jumped  in  as  they  best  could.  Before 
they  were  fairly  seated  they  were  driven  against  a  rock,  which 
shattered  the  stern  and  threw  the  boat  to  the  opposite  shore, 
breaking  the  bow  in  pieces.  The  foreman  caught  some  overhanging 
branches,  but  was  jerked  out  of  the  boat  in  an  instant  and  swung 
on  shore.  In  another  moment  they  were  in  the  midst  of  a  cascade, 
the  rocks  breaking  through  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  which  now  filled 
with  water. 

NARROW  ESCAPE. — Fortunately  an  eddy  caught  the  boat,  bringing 
it  into  shallow  water.  There  it  struck  a  rock,  on  which  it  remained 
until  unloaded  of  such  effects  as  were  not  swept  away  by  the  water. 
The  powder  in  the  boat  fortunately  escaped  damage.  Mackenzie 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  05 

stood  in  the  water,  holding  the  boat  in  position  until  the  stuff  was 
unloaded.  It  was  then  dragged  ashore  in  a  very  bad  state  and  was. 
repaired  next  day.  Another  road  had  to  be  cut  to  the  foot  of  the 
rapids  and  across  a  swampy  piece  of  ground,  making  a  portage  as 
direct  as  possible  to  the  great  river  which  was  not  very  far  distant. 
The  expedition  in  this  part  of  the  journey  only  progressed  at  the  rate 
of  two  or  three  miles  a  day.  The  Indian  guide,  seeing  those  difficulties, 
became  disheartened  and  deserted. 

SUPPOSED  HE  HAD  REACHED  COLUMBIA  RIVER. — The  banks  of  the 
great  river  were  at  last  reached.  The  explorer  imagined  he  had 
reached  the  great  Columbia  River,  which  he  had  heard  of  when  in 
England.  The  mistake  was  natural  for  him  to  make.  The  course 
and  outlet  of  the  river  was  not  explored  until  1806-8,  when  Simon 
Fraser  followed  its  course  to  the  outlet,  and  gave  it  the  name  Fraser 
River.  Mackenzie  found  the  great  river  was  taking  him  too  far  south 
for  the  latitude  in  which  he  wished  to  reach  the  Pacific  Ocean.  On? 
the  21st  of  June,  Mackenzie  records  in  his  journal  that  being  "  very 
sensible  of  the  difficulty  of  procuring  provisions  in  this  country,  he 
thought  it  prudent  to  guard  against  any  possibility  of  distress  of  that 
kind  on  our  return.  He,  therefore,  ordered  ninety  pounds  weight  of 
pemmican  to  be  buried  in  a  hole  sufficiently  deep  to  admit  of  a  fire 
being  built  over  it  without  doing  any  injury  to  the  hidden  treasure, 
and  which  would  at  the  same  time  secure  it  from  the  natives  of  the 
country,  or  the  wild  animals  of  the  woods." 

MET  ARMED  NATIVES. — Mackenzie's  progress  was  now  rapid,  but 
he  found  the  river  was  carrying  him  farther  south  and  easterly  than 
his  desired  latitude.  He,  therefore,  after  consultation  with  a  tribe  of 
natives,  concluded  to  return  to  a  point  near  West  Road  River  which 
he  had  formerly  passed  during  a  fog.  There  he  saw  a  canoe  in  which 
was  a  single  occupant.  This  individual  gave  a  shrill  whistle,  which 
immediately  brought  a  crowd  of  other  natives  to  the  bank  of  the 
river.  They  came  armed,  and  with  warlike  antics  and  whoops 
indicated  that  Mackenzie's  boat  should  not  land.  He  ordered  his 
boatman  to  turn  and  take  a  position  on  the  bank  opposite,  the  cur- 
rent in  the  meantime  carrying  them  past  where  the  Indians  had 
assembled.  Mackenzie  then  landed  alone,  and  walked  up  the  bank 
displaying  trinkets  and  beckoning  for  them  to  come  over  to  him. 
He  had  directed  one  of  his  hunters  to  land  and  slip  into  the  woods, 
carrying  two  guns  with  him,  that  in  the  event  of  an  attack  he  would 
be  ready  to  assist. 
5 


66  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

PACIFIED  THEM  WITH  TRINKETS.— Two  natives  in  a  canoe  after 
some  time  ventured  to  cross  the  stream,  but  stopped  within'  about  a 
hundred  yards  of  Mackenzie.  He,  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
Indian  character,  beckoned  them  to  approach,  holding  out  towards 
them  beads  and  looking-glasses.  Slowly  and  timidly  the  wild  men 
&hoved  their  canoe,  stern  foremost,  toward  the  bank  until  within  full 
view  of  the  alluring  trinkets.  Finally  they  gathered  courage  to  land 
and  seat  themselves  beside  the  white  man,  at  whom  they  gazed  in 
awe  and  admiration,  astonished  at  the  looking-glass.  Mackenzie's 
hunter  now  joined  him,  which  startled  the  two  savages  somewhat ; 
nevertheless  their  fears  were  soon  quieted,  and  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
explorer  he  found  that  his  hunter  could  converse  with  them.  After 
a  short  stay,  during  which  the  hunter  did  all  in  his  power  to  win 
their  confidence,  and  declining  an  invitation  to  visit  the  white  man's 
canoe,  the  savages  signified  their  desire  to  depart,  which  was  cordially 
permitted  by  their  entertainer.  Shooting  their  boat  across  the  stream, 
the  two  daring  natives  were  received  by  their  brethren  as  from  the 
jaws  of  death.  After  consulting  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  natives 
invited  the  white  men  to  visit  them,  an  invitation  which  was  promptly 
accepted.  Presents  were  distributed,  and  then  Mackenzie  set  about 
gathering  information  of  the  route  westwards. 

ALARMING  INTELLIGENCE. — He  was  informed  by  the  natives  that 
"the  river  was  long,  the  current  rapid  and  dangerous,  in  places  indeed 
impassable,  rushing  furiously  between  rugged  rocks  ;  it  ran  towards 
the  midday  sun,  and  at  its  mouth  they  had  been  told  were  white  men 
building  houses.  The  people  below  were  a  malignant  race,  and  lived 
in  subterranean  dens.  They  had  iron  arms,  and  to  go  among  them 
was  certain  death."  Thus  they  attempted  to  dissuade  the  strangers 
from  their  purpose.  But  although  this  alarming  intelligence  was  by 
no  means  to  be  disregarded  wholly  as  a  fiction,  yet  it  did  not  materially 
change  the  explorer's  plans.  He  requested  an  intelligent  native  to 
draw  a  plan  of  the  river,  which  was  done  with  readiness  and  skill. 
Next  morning  the  explorer  embarked  accompanied  by  two  of  the 
natives,  and  dropped  down  the  river  fourteen  miles.  On  their  way 
they  landed  near  a  house,  the  roof  of  which  only  appeared  above  the 
ground.  The  inhabitants  fled  at  the  approach  of  strangers,  but 
returned  as  soon  as  they  understood  that  no  harm  was  likely  to 
follow. 

FIERCE  AND  FEROCIOUS-LOOKING  SAVAGES. — Some  distance  farther, 
natives  were  encountered  more  ferocious  and  fierce-looking  than  any 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  67 

they  had  yet  seen.  Yet  Mackenzie,  with  his  great  tact,  soon  made 
them  friendly.  He  found  among  them  four  strangers  belonging  to 
the  nation  adjoining.  One  of  those  was  an  elderly  man  of  prepossessing 
appearance.  To  him  Mackenzie,  as  was  his  custom,  applied  for 
information  respecting  the  country.  The  old  man,  taking  a  piece  of 
bark,  drew  a  map  with  the  river  running  to  the  east  and  south,  with 
many  tributaries,  dangerous  rapids  and  impracticable  carrying-places. 
Their  iron,  brass  and  copper  came  from  their  neighbors  to  the  west. 
In  that  direction  the  distance  was  not  far  from  the  sea.  If  they 
kept  to  the  west  between  the  mountains,  the  route  is  not  difficult, 
there  being  a  well-beaten  path,  which  they  had  often  travelled,  with 
assisting  links  of  lakes  and  rivers.  There  were  three  points  of 
departure — one  where  they  then  were  (that  is,  near  the  Quesnell 
River),  one  at  West  Road  River,  and  one  beyond  that  point. 

MUTINY  THREATENED. —  Here  was  a  quandary.  Which  course 
should  he  pursue  1  Provisions  and  ammunition  were  becoming  low, 
and  his  men  were  on  the  point  of  mutiny.  He  made  up  his  mind 
that  although  he  should  not  be  able  to  return  to  Athabasca  that 
season;  though  he  should  never  return;  though  he  should  be  deserted 
by  his  men  and  left  to  find  the  western  sea  alone — yet  he  would 
find  it.  This  was  his  resolve,  and  so  he  notified  his  men.  It  was 
evident  that  the  short,  beaten  path  to  the  west  was  preferable  and 
less  hazardous  than  the  perilous  river  of  unknown  limits  to  the  south. 
He  had  passed  the  point  where  the  proper  overland  route  lay,  and  to 
that  point  they  must  now  return.  One  of  the  natives  at  the  last 
encampment  promised  to  be  their  guide  ;  hence,  the  next  day,  the 
23rd  of  June,  the  course  of  the  party  was  changed  to  retrace  their 
route  to  West  Road  River. 

A  NEW  CANOE  REQUIRED. — The  canoe  had  now  become  so  dilapi- 
dated that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  construct  a  new  one.  This 
operation  occupied  from  the  28th  of  June  until  the  1st  of  July.  It 
was  now  necessary  to  put  the  men  on  short  allowance,  which,  with 
the  desertion  of  the  guide,  did  not  assist  to  restore  their  good  humor. 
The  explorer's  position  was,  therefore,  an  exceedingly  critical  one, 
yet  he  did  not  recede  in  the  least  from  his  determination  to  proceed 
westward.  The  men  had  shown  a  disposition  to  take  the  lead  and 
return  to  Athabasca ;  they  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  load  the 
canoe  preparatory  to  embarking,  without  instructions  from  their  chief 
officer.  It  was  high  time  for  Mr.  Mackenzie  to  place  his  deter- 
mination squarely  before  them.  He  learned  with  some  satisfaction 


68  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

that  they  had  not  definitely  fixed  on  any  plan  of  return.  He  argued 
the  case  calmly  with  them.  He  reminded  them  of  the  promises  of 
fidelity  they  had  made.  A  modern  writer  paraphrasing  this  portion 
of  Mackenzie's  journal  says  :  "Pointing  to  the  western  path,  he  tells 
them  he  is  going  to  try  it.  His  calm  persistence  wins.  Though 
beset  with  dangers  and  hardships,  habit  is  too  much  for  them,  their 
master  is  before  them.  Once  more  they  promise  their  support.  The 
manifestation  of  moral  power  is  apparent.  Place  things  the  right 
way  before  men  and  they  will  die  for  their  leader ;  if  he  bungles, 
peradventure  they  will  make  him  die.  Herein  consists  the  difference 
between  born  commanders,  and  men  only  fit  to  govern  cattle." 

HEAVY  BAGGAGE  LEFT  BEHIND. — As  it  was  concluded  they  must 
now  proceed  on  foot,  it  was  necessary  to  leave  behind  everything 
they  could  not  carry ;  therefore,  it  was  considered  prudent  to  hide 
some  provisions  and  such  articles  as  were  considered  valuable.  To 
do  this  with  safety  Mackay  and  the  Indians  were  sent  on  ahead. 
In  the  first  hiding-place,  Mackenzie  explains  here,  were  placed  a  bag 
of  pemmican,  two  bags  of  wild  rice,  and  a  gallon  keg  of  gunpowder. 
In  the  second  hiding-place  were  put  two  bags  of  Indian  corn,  or 
maize,  and  a  bale  of  different  articles  of  merchandise  rolled  in  oil- 
cloth and  dressed  leather.  Their  friends  were  overtaken  at  "  the 
entrance  of  a  small  rivulet,  where  Mackay  had  agreed  to  wait.  At 
this  place  it  was  decided  to  leave  the  canoe.  A  stage  was  prepared, 
qn  which  the  canoe  was  placed  bottom  upwards  and  shaded  by  a 
covering  of  small  trees  and  branches  to  keep  her  from  the  sun.  An 
oblong  hollow  square  was  then  built,  ten  feet  by  five,  of  green  logs, 
in  which  was  placed  every  article  necessary  to  be  left,  and  the  whole 
covered  with  large  pieces  of  timber." 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  69 


CHAPTEK  VII. 


MACKENZIE'S  JOURNEY  WEST.— CONTINUED. 

THEY  TRAVEL  ON  FOOT. — At  noon  all  was  in  readiness  for  a  start 
to  enter  the  woods.  The  stuff  to  be  carried  consisted  of  four  bags 
and  a  half  of  pemmican,  weighing  from  eighty-five  to  ninety  pounds 
each ;  the  case  of  astronomical  instruments  ;  a  parcel  of  goods  for 
presents,  weight  ninety  pounds,  and  a  parcel  of  ammunition  of  the 
same  weight.  The  Indians  had  about  forty-five  pounds  weight  of 
pemmican  to  carry  besides  their  gun,  etc.,  with  which  they  were  very 
much  dissatisfied ;  and,  Mackenzie  adds,  "  if  they  dared,  they  would 
have  instantly  left  us.  They  had  hitherto  been  very  much  indulged, 
but  the  moment  was  now  arrived  when  indulgence  was  no  longer 
practicable."  His  own  load,  and  that  of  Mr.  Mackay,  consisted  of 
twenty-two  pounds  of  pemmican,  some  rice,  a  little  sugar,  etc., 
amounting  in  the  whole  to  about  seventy  pounds  each,  besides  their 
arms  and  ammunition.  Mackenzie  says  he  had  the  tube  of  his 
telescope  swung  across  his  shoulder,  which  was  a  troublesome 
addition  to  his  burden.  It  was  determined  that  only  two  meals  a 
day  should  be  eaten.  This  was  "  regulated  without  difficulty,  as  the 
provisions  did  not  require  the  ceremony  of  cooking." 

TROUBLE  WITH  THE  GUIDES. — The  journey  commenced  by  a  steep 
ascent  of  about  a  mile,  along  a  well-beaten  path.  The  country  was 
rugged  and  ridgy  and  full  of  wood.  Twelve  miles'  march  under  rain, 
which  began  early  in  the  afternoon,  brought  them  to  an  Indian 
camp,  where  was  their  guide  who  had  preceded  them.  The  natives 
were  friendly  and  proposed  to  send  two  of  their  people  on  in  advance 
to  notify  and  prepare  the  natives  for  Mackenzie's  arrival.  This  was 
agreed  to,  and  some  presents  were  given  to  the  couriers  that  they 
might  be  favorably  prepossessed.  Here  were  found  two  half-pence, 
one  of  King  George  III.  and  the  other  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts, 
coined  in  1787.  They  had  been  hung  as  ornaments  in  children's  ears, 
and  were  exchanged  for  other  coins  by  Mackenzie.  During  this 
portion  of  the  journey  Mackenzie  had  much  trouble  with  his  guides, 
who  were  exceedingly  vacillating.  To  prevent  one  of  them  from 


70  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

deserting,  Mackenzie  records  he  took  one  of  them  to  sleep  with  him. 
"The  Indian's  beaver  robe,  although  a  nest  of  vermin,  was  spread 
under  them — Mackenzie's  camlet  cloak  was  spread  over  them.  His 
companion's  hair  being  greased  with  fish-oil,  and  his  body  smeared 
with  red  earth,  the  sense  of  smelling,  as  well  as  that  of  feeling, 
threatened  to  interrupt  his  rest ;  notwithstanding  these  inconven- 
iences, he  yielded  to  his  fatigue  and  passed  the  night  in  sound  repose." 
Mr.  Mackenzie  took  the  lead  each  day  in  the  march,  to  clear  the 
branches  of  the  wet  which  continued  to  hang  on  them,  after  the  rain 
had  ceased. 

REDUCED  RATIONS — GREAT  HARDSHIPS.  — As  this  part  of  the 
country  was  destitute  of  game,  to  provide  for  their  return  another 
half-bag  of  pemmican  was  buried.  The  weather  continued  rainy, 
which  produced  great  discomfort  from  wet  clothing.  The  party  had 
to  cross  several  rivers  ;  some  they  waded,  on  others  they  used  rafts. 
On  the  10th  of  July  they  reached  several  huts  and  friendly  inhabi- 
tants, who  said  the  distance  from  the  sea  was  from  four  to  eight  days. 
They  all  declared  they  had  been  to  the  coast.  This  was  cheering 
news.  Fearing  provisions  might  not  be  sufficient,  it  became  neces- 
sary to  diminish  the  consumption.  The  allowance  to  each  was  reduced 
by  one-third.  This,  although  unwelcome  news,  was  put  into  imme- 
diate practice.  It  produced  great  dissatisfaction.  The  weather  was 
cold,  when  the  sun  was  not  shining,  as  snow-clad  mountains  were  on 
every  side.  The  people  proposed  to  return,  but  were  prevailed  upon 
to  proceed.  Soon  after  starting  in  the  morning,  they  arrived  at  a 
house  which  was  inhabited.  Mackenzie  pushed  on  ahead.  As  he 
entered  the  house  the  man  fled  with  all  speed  by  a  back  door,  leaving 
the  terrified  women  and  children,  who  made  a  terrible  outcry,  expect- 
ing they  were  to  be  massacred.  They  soon  became  pacified,  and  the 
man  eventually  returned  and  acted  in  a  friendly  manner.  From  the 
natives  the  party  received  a  good  supply  of  fish,  which  was  a  welcome 
relish. 

MODE  OF  SEPULTURE.—"  A  tomb  was  observed  near  to  every  resi- 
dence. The  grave  was  always  kept  clear  of  grass  and  weeds.  The 
guide  explained  that  the  people  had  two  ways  of  disposing  of  their 
dead.  It  was  their  practice  to  burn  the  bodies  of  their  dead,  except 
the  larger  bones,  which  are  rolled  up  in  bark  and  suspended  on  poles 
near  the  grave.  Some  tribes,  he  said,  bury  their  dead.  When 
another  member  of  the  family  dies,  the  remains  of  the  person  who 
was  last  interred  are  taken  from  the  grave  and  burned,  so  that  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  71 

members  of  a  family  are  thus  successively  buried  and  burned  to  make 
room  for  each  other,  and  one  tomb  proves  sufficient  for  a  family 
through  succeeding  generations." 

A  PREPOSSESSING  PARTY. — Near  this  place,  along  the  route  they 
overtook  a  party  from  the  north  going  towards  the  sea-coast.  Mac- 
kenzie describes  them  as  of  pleasant  aspect.  The  women's  hair  was 
neatly  parted  in  the  middle,  and  being  plaited,  was  tied  in  loose  knots 
over  the  ears.  The  men  were  clothed  in  leather,  with  their  haiv 
nicely  combed.  Their  complexion  was  fairer,  or  perhaps  it  may  be 
said  with  more  propriety  that  they  were  more  cleanly  than  any  of  the 
natives  whom  they  had  yet  seen.  Their  eyes,  though  keen  and  sharp, 
were  not  of  that  dark  color  so  generally  observable  in  the  various 
tribes  of  Indians  •  they  were,  on  the  contrary,  of  a  grey  hue,  with  a 
tinge  of  red.  There  was  one  man  amongst  them  at  least  six  feet  four 
inches  in  height ;  his  manners  were  affable,  and  he  had  a  more  pre- 
possessing appearance  than  any  Indian  yet  met  with  on  this  journey. 
He  was  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and  was  treated  with  parti- 
cular respect  by  his  party.  Every  man,  woman  and  child  carried  a 
proportionate  share  of  the  travelling  baggage.  In  camp  Mackenzie's 
guide  and  one  of  the  party  amused  themselves  in  a  game  of  chance. 
They  each  had  a  bundle  of  about  fifty  small  sticks,  of  the  size  of  a  quill, 
neatly  polished,  and  about  five  inches  long.  A  certain  number  of 
these  sticks  had  red  lines  around  them.  One  of  the  players  rolled  up 
a  number  in  dry  grass.  According  to  the  judgment  of  his  antagonist 
respecting  their  number  and  marks,  he  lost  or  won.  On  this  occasion 
the  guide  was  the  loser,  as  he  had  to  part  with  his  bow  and  arrows, 
and  with  several  articles  he  had  formerly  received  from  Mr.  Mackenzie.. 

MACKENZIK  SHAVES  HIS  BEARD. — Next  morning  the  northern  party 
took  a  more  southerly  course.  Mackenzie  and  his  guide  proceeded 
westerly.  A  deer  was  shot,  and  a  heartier  meal  made  than  for  many 
days  previously.  Mackenzie  records  that  there  he  took  off  his  beard 
and  changed  his  linen,  and  that  his  people  followed  "the  humanizing 
example."  Towards  night  they  reached  a  river,  on  the  banks  of 
which  there  was  an  Indian  village.  The  guide  went  ahead  to  prepare 
the  natives  for  the  arrival  and  surprise.  Mackenzie  arrived  before 
the  others,  and  was  cordially  received.  He  was  invited  to  enter  the 
large  house,  the  people  in  the  smaller  huts  being  engaged  in  cooking 
fish.  The  large  house  was  erected  on  posts  at  some  distance  from  the 
ground.  A  broad  piece  of  timber  with  steps  cut  in  it  led  to  a  plat- 
form level  with  the  floor.  By  this  sort  of  ladder  a  door  was  reached 


72  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

ut  the  end  of  the  house.  Three  fires  were  burning  on  the  floor  at 
«qual  distances  apart.  The  inmates  were  seated  on  a  bench  at  the 
upper  end.  Mackenzie  having  shaken  hands  all  round,  was  offered 
a  mat  to  sit  on.  The  rest  of  his  party  having  arrived,  another  mat 
was  spread  alongside  for  Mackay.  The  men  were  seated  around  and 
regaled  with  roasted  salmon — a  whole  salmon  for  each  of  the  leaders, 
Mackenzie  and  Mackay,  and  half  a  salmon  to  each  of  the  rest  of  the 
party  The  women  had  retired  for  the  night  behind  a  recess  formed 
of  wide  boards. 

A  HOSPITABLE  CHIEF. — Although  the  chief  had  indicated  that  the 
party  might  sleep  inside  the  house,  Mackenzie  preferred  to  sleep 
outside.  Learning  this,  the  chief  had  a  fire  built,  and  boards  placed 
on  the  ground.  Soon  a  large  dish  of  salmon  roes,  pounded  tine  and 
beat  up  with  water  so  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  cream,  was 
brought.  A  seasoning  had  been  added  which  gave  it  a  bitter  taste. 
Another  dish  soon  followed,  the  principal  ingredient  of  which  was 
also  salmon  roes,  with  a  large  proportion  of  gooseberries,  and  an  herb 
which  appeared  to  be  sorrel.  This  was  more  agreeable  to  the  taste 
than  the  former  preparation.  Mackenzie  concludes  this  account  by 
stating  that  "having  been  regaled  with  these  delicacies,  for  such  they 
were  considered  by  that  hospitable  spirit  which  provided  them,  we 
laid  ourselves  down  to  rest  with  no  other  canopy  than  the  sky  ;  but  I 
never  enjoyed  a  more  refreshing  rest,  though  I  had  a  board  for  my 
bed  and  a  billet  for  my  pillow." 

AN  INDIAN  BREAKFAST. — At  five  o'clock  next  morning  the  Indians 
had  replenished  the  tire  and  were  out  sitting  beside  it.  The  chief 
had  brought  roasted  salmon  and  berries — gooseberries,  whortleberries, 
and  raspberries,  of  very  fine  quality.  Dried  roes  were  also  brought 
to  eat  with  the  berries.  Fish  is  the  only  sort  of  animal  food  of  whicli 
this  tribe  partakes.  "Flesh,"  says  Mackenzie,  "they  never  taste. 
One  of  their  dogs  which  had  picked  up  and  swallowed  part  of  a  bone 
remaining  from  the  venison  our  party  had  left,  was  beaten  by 
his  master  till  he  disgorged  it.  A  bone  of  the  deer  having  been 
thrown  into  the  river,  a  native  who  had  observed  the  circumstance 
immediately  dived  and  brought  it  up,  and  having  consigned  it  to  the 
fire,  instantly  proceeded  to  wasli  his  polluted  hands.  A  difficulty 
occurred  in  procuring  a  canoe  from  the  chief  on  account  of  our  having 
venison  along,  which  he  explained  the  fish  would  smell  and  abandon 
the  river,  so  that  he,  his  friends  and  relations  would  starve.  The 
venison  \vas  given  to  some  flesh-eating  strangers  present,  and  two 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  73 

canoes  procured  which  brought  the  party  to  the  next  village  before 
evening." 

A  FISH  TRAP — HUGGING. — On  the  way  down  they  passed  a  fish- 
weir  of  elaborate  construction.  Mackenzie  was  surrounded  by  the 
natives  on  his  arrival  with  every  mark  of  friendship.  An  elderly 
man  broke  through  the  crowd  and  took  Mackenzie  in  his  arms.  He 
was  turned  away  by  another  man  without  any  ceremony,  who 
went  through  the  same  hugging  performance.  These  embraces, 
although  rather  surprising,  were  their  way  of  expressing  regard  and 
friendship.  Space  was  opened  to  allow  a  young  man  to  approach. 
On  being  offered  Mackenzie's  hand,  he  broke  the  string  of  a  handsome 
robe  of  sea-otter  skin  which  lie  had  on  and  placed  it  on  Mackenzie, 
who  considered  it  the  most  flattering  gift  which  could  be  made,  as  it 
came  from  the  chief's  son.  The  party  were  next  conducted  to  the 
house,  where  a  feast  of  salmon  and  oil  was  prepared.  A  portion  of 
the  inner  rind  of  hemlock  bark  mixed  with  salmon  oil,  saved  whilst 
the  salmon  is  being  baked,  was  supplied  as  a  very  great  delicacy. 
This  feast  and  reception  lasted  three  hours.  The  young  chief  was 
presented  with  a  blanket  in  return  for  the  robe.  A  lodge  was  erected 
for  the  reception  of  the  party  during  the  night.  Abundance  of 
salmon  were  caught  at  the  foot  of  the  weir,  with  dipping-nets.  A 
pair  of  scissors,  amongst  other  articles,  were  given  to  the  chief,  who 
immediately  began  to  crop  his  beard,  which  was  of  considerable 
length. 

A  GREAT  FEAST  AND  HOSPITALITY. — The  village  buildings  were 
visited,  and  are  described  at  length  in  Mackenzie's  journal  He  esti- 
mated the  number  of  inhabitants  at  two  hundred.  He  describes  their 
mode  of  preserving  salmon  as  follows  :  "Before  the  door  of  the  chiefs 
residence  were  four  heaps  of  salmon,  each  of  which  contained 
between  three  and  four  hundred  fish.  Sixteen  women  were  employed 
in  cleaning  and  preparing  them.  They  first  separate  the  head  from 
the  body,  the  former  of  which  they  boil ;  they  then  cut  the  latter 
down  the  back  on  each  side  of  the  bone,  leaving  one-third  of  the  fish 
adhering  to  it,  and  taking  out  the  entrails.  The  bone  is  roasted  for 
immediate  use,  and  the  other  parts  are  dressed  in  the  same  manner, 
but  with  more  attention,  for  future  provision.  While  the  roasting  is 
proceeding  before  the  fire,  troughs  are  placed  under  to  receive  the 
oil.  The  roes  are  also  preserved."  In  his  journal  Mackenzie  also 
remarks :  "  Soon  after  I  retired  to  rest  last  night,  the  chief  paid  me 
a  visit  to  insist  on  my  going  to  his  bed-companion  and  taking  my 


74  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

place  himself ;  but  notwithstanding  his  repeated  entreaties,  I  resisted 
this  offer  of  the  height  of  hospitality." 

SEVERAL  VILLAGES  AND  HOUSES  PASSED. — The  voyage  was  continued 
next  day,  accompanied  by  four  of  the  natives  in  a  large  canoe.  A  short 
call  was  made  at  a  house  occupied  by  parties  of  some  importance.  A 
repast  was  provided.  The  stay  was  made  as  short  as  possible.  In  a 
very  short  time  the  rapidity  of  the  current  carried  the  canoe  to 
another  large  house.  The  natives  received  the  party  kindly,  but  did 
not  offer  any  refreshments.  They  were  all  actively  employed  at 
various  branches  of  industry — beating  the  inner  rind  of  cedar  bark  to . 
a  fine  fibre,  spinning,  weaving,  and  the  men  fishing.  Proceeding 
onwards  they  came  to  a  cascade,  and  afterwards  to  a  large  fall,  above 
which  the  canoe  was  left.  The  luggage  was  carried  along  a  road  for 
a  hundred  yards  to  a  village,  consisting  of  six  large  houses  erected  on 
posts  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground.  From  these  houses  Mackenzie 
could  perceive  the  termination  of  the  river,  and  where  it  entered  into 
a  narrow  arm  of  the  sea.  They  remained  during  the  night  in  one  of  the 
outhouses.  From  a  note  in  the  journal  it  appears  that  Mr.  Johnstone, 
one  of  Vancouver's  officers,  had  been  at  those  houses  on  the  first  of 
June.  It  would  have  been  a  happy  meeting  if  the  two  great  explorers 
(Vancouver  and  Mackenzie)  had  happened  to  arrive  at  the  same  time. 

HE  REACHES  THE  SHORE  OF  THE  PACIFIC. — After  some  difficulty  in 
arranging  with  the  natives  for  a  canoe,  a  start  was  made  for  the  goal, 
which  was  reached  by  eight  o'clock;  and  Mackenzie,  on  the  20th  of 
July,  1793,  stood  on  the  shore  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  situation 
was  satisfactory,  but  not  exhilarating.  The  tide  was  out.  A  strong 
wind  was  blowing  from  the  west.  The  swell  was  so  high  that  they 
could  not  proceed  against  it  with  the  leaky  canoe.  They  landed  in  a 
small  cove  at  the  right  side  of  the  bay,  and  remained  until  morning. 
One  of  the  Indians  greatly  wishing  to  return  was  permitted  to  go, 
as  provisions  were  not  in  great  abundance.  The  stock  on  hand  was 
only  twenty  pounds  of  pemmican,  fifteen  pounds  of  rice,  and  six 
pounds  of  flour  among  ten  half -starved  men,  with  a  leaky  canoe  on  a 
barbarous  coast.  The  Indian  was  desired  to  inform  his  friends  that 
the  party  would  return  within  three  nights. 

INSOLENT  NATIVES. — At  forty  minutes  past  four,  on  the  morning 
of  the  21st,  it  was  low  water.  The  tide  had  fallen  fifteen  feet  from 
from  high  water  mark  of  previous  night.  Being  anxious  to  obtain  an 
observation,  Mackenzie  left  the  mouth  of  the  river  (Bella  Coola)  at 
6  a.m.,  steered  W.S.W.  for  seven  miles,  had  a  view  down  a  channel 


THE    FUR-TRADING~PERIOD.  75 

which  opened,  trending  to  the  S.S.W.  twelve  miles;  this  passage  had 
been  named  by  Vancouver,Burke  Channel.  Keeping  along  the  northerly 
shore  of  King  Island,  a  course  was  steered  W.N.W.  along  Labouchere 
Channel.  They  were  met  by  three  canoes  with  fifteen  men  in  them. 
One  of  the  men  was  insolent,  and  informed  Mackenzie  that  a  large 
canoe  had  lately  been  in  the  bay,  and  that  one  of  them  whom  he 
called  Macubah  (Vancouver)  had  fired  on  him  and  his  friends,  and 
that  Bensins  (Johnstone)  had  struck  him  on  the  back  with  the  flat 
part  of  his  sword.  Seeing  some  sheds  on  shore,  Mackenzie  landed 
there  and  found  them  to  be  ruins  of  a  village.  They  were  followed 
to  that  spot  by  ten  canoes,  each  of  which  contained  from  three  to  six 
men. 

TOOK  REFUGE  ox  A  ROCK. — For  protection  Mackenzie  and  party 
took  possession  of  a  rock,  where  there  was  not  space  for  more  than 
twice  their  number,  and  which  could  be  defended  to  advantage  in  the 
event  of  being  attacked.  The  people  in  the  first  three  canoes  were 
the  most  troublesome,  but  after  doing  their  utmost  to  irritate  they 
went  away,  stealing  a  hat,  handkerchief,  and  a  few  other  articles. 
He  warned  his  people  to  be  on  their  guard  and  to  defend  themselves 
to  the  last  if  violence  should  be  offered.  About  sunset  the  other 
boats  left.  A  fire  was  kindled,  "and  as  for  supper  there  was  little  of 
that,  for  the  whole  daily  allowance  did  not  amount  to  what  was 
sufficient  for  a  single  meal."  The  natives  did  not  return  during  the 
night — a  close  watch,  however,  was  kept  two  by  two  in  turn.  Next 
day  two  canoes  arrived  having  some  pieces  of  raw  seal's  flesh.  Hunger 
compelled  the  men  to  purchase  some  at  a  high  price.  Mr.  Mackay 
lighted  a  bit  of  touchwood  with  a  burning-glass,  in  the  cover  of  his 
tobacco  box,  which  so  surprised  the  natives  that  they  exchanged 
the  best  of  their  otter  skins  for  it.  An  observation  was  taken  at  noon 
which  gave  52°  20'  48"  N. 

THE  INSCRIPTION. — The  party  being  very  anxious  to  leave  the 
place,  departed  after  having  the  following  inscription  in  melted  grease 
and  vermilion  painted  on  the  face  of  the  rock  at  the  foot  of  which 
they  slept  the  previous  night :  "  ALEXANDER  MACKENZIE,  FROM 
CANADA,  BY  LAND,  THE  TWENTY-SECOND  OF  JULY,  ONE  THOUSAND 
SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  NINETY-THREE." 

THE  RETURN  COMMENCED— NEW  DANGERS. — A  landing  was  next 
made  at  a  cove  north-east  three  miles,  where  they  could  not  be  easily 
seen,  and  where  they  could  only  be  attacked  from  the  front.  Having 
completed  his  observations  Mackenzie  returned  by  the  way  he  had 


76  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

come,  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Bella  Coola  River  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  22nd.  After  a  very  light  breakfast  they  walked 
through  the  woods  to  the  first  village,  carrying  their  baggage, 
Mackenzie  ahead.  He  met  two  men  advancing,  shouting  and 
flourishing  daggers.  Divining  their  purpose  he  at  once  threw  down 
his  cloak  and  presented  his  gun  towards  them.  Fortunately  for  him 
they  knew  the  effect  of  firearms,  and  instantly  dropped  their  daggers. 
.Several  other  natives  soon  joined  them,  and  among  them  Mackenzie 
recognized  the  man  who  had  formerly  been  so  troublesome,  and  who 
now  repeated  the  names  "Macubah"  and  "  Bensins."  The  crowd 
then  got  so  near  that  one  of  them  contrived  to  get  behind  Mackenzie, 
and  grasped  him  in  his  arms.  He  soon  disengaged  himself,  but  could 
not  think  how  the  native  did  not  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  he 
had  of  stabbing  him  with  the  dagger.  They  certainly  might  have 
overpowered  him,  and  although  two  or  three  of  them  might  have  been 
killed,  doubtless  Mackenzie  would  have  fallen  at  last.  Had  he  fallen 
the  whole  party  would  certainlv  have  been  slaughtered,  and  as 
Mackenzie  moralizes,  "  not  one  would  have  returned  to  tell  of  the 
horrid  fate  of  his  companions."  As  soon  as  Mackenzie's  men 
appeared  out  of  the  woods  the  natives  fled. 

MACKENZIE  SHOWED  A  BOLD  FRONT — RASCAL  VILLAGE. — Recol- 
lecting the  articles  which  they  had  stolen,  Mackenzie,  now  to  show  he 
did  not  fear  them,  drew  up  his  men,  ordering  them  to  prime  their  guns 
afresh,  and  calling  the  young  chief  who  then  appeared,  demanded  that 
all  the  articles  previously  purloined  from  them  should  be  returned,  and 
a  supply  of  fish  as  an  indemnity.  After  explanation  a  reconciliation 
took  place,  the  articles  were  restored,  and  some  fish  handed  over  with 
them.  They  also  supplied  poles  for  pushing  up  against  the  current, 
and  presented  two  salmon.  Everything  else  received  had  been  paid 
for.  Mackenzie  took  an  observation  of  the  place  before  he  left.  He 
found  it  52°  24'  43"  N.,  and  named  it  Rascal  Village. 

KIND  TREATMENT  AT  FRIENDLY  VILLAGE. — The  progress  up  the 
river  was  very  slow.  The  men  wished  to  take  a  course  over  the  moun- 
tains. To  this  Mackenzie  objected,  showing  them  the  difficulty  of 
ascending  the  mountains,  and  the  small  amount  of  provisions  left, 
which  two  days  would  exhaust.  He  urged  the  folly  of  being  alarmed 
at  the  danger  from  the  natives  which  might  not  exist,  but  with  which 
they  could  grapple.  Toiling  all  day,  they  persevered,  pulling  the 
canoe  against  the  current  frequently  by  overhanging  branches.  At 
length  arrived  at  a  house,  they  were  gratified  to  find  their  young 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  77 

Indian  coming  with  some  natives  to  meet  them.  A  strict  watch  was. 
kept  that  night.  Thus  day  after  day  they  toiled  up  stream,  generally 
obtaining  supplies  of  fish  from  the  natives,  as  well  as  delicious  berries 
of  various  kinds.  They  passed  many  large  cedar  trees  as  they  went 
along.  On  the  night  of  the  25th,  the  party  camped  beside  the  river, 
keeping  a  watch,  that  the  vacillating  natives  might  not  take  advantage 
of  the  night.  Next  morning  they  arrived  safely  at  FRIENDLY  VIL- 
LAGE, where  they  had,  on  their  westward  journey,  been  so  well  received 
and  hospitably  treated.  The  same  kindness  was  repeated.  Roasted 
salmon  was  offered  in  abundance.  The  women  were  actively  engaged 
in  boiling  berries  and  salmon  roe. 

ARRANGED  THEIR  PACK-LOADS. — Leaving  the  village,  all  the  men 
accompanied  them  for  nearly  a  mile.  Soon  after  the  natives  returned 
a  halt  was  made  to  make  a  division  of  the  fish  which  had  been  gener- 
ously furnished.  Each  man  was  allotted  about  twenty  pounds  weight, 
except  Mackenzie  and  Mackay,  who  were  content  with  a  smaller 
allowance.  They  had  also  a  little  flour  and  a  small  quantity  of  pem- 
mican  left.  A  fork  of  the  river  was  reached  shortly  after  noon,  which 
had  to  be  forded.  It  was  three  feet  deep,  and  rapid.  The  sick 
Indian  had  not  recovered  sufficiently  to  wade  across,  and  Mackenzie 
carried  him  across  on  his  back.  They  were  now  ascending  the  moun- 
tains, by  the  same  route  followed  in  the  outward  journey.  On  the  28th 
they  reached  the  spot  where  they  had  slept  on  the  16th,  and  found 
the  buried  pemmican  in  good  condition.  Continuing  the  route  with 
tine  weather,  they  saw  none  of  the  natives.  All  the  hidden  provisions 
were  recovered.  On  the  4th  of  August  the  place  was  reached  which 
had  been  left  a  month  before.  The  progress  so  far,  although  very 
fatiguing,  was  gratifying.  They  at  length  reached  their  canoe,  which 
had  been  left  at  the  Great  River.  It  was  found  perfectly  safe,  nor 
had  any  of  the  articles  been  disturbed.  Here,  Mackenzie  says,  they 
pitched  their  tent,  made  a  blazing  fire,  and  he  treated  himself  as  well 
as  his  people  to  a  dram.  They  had  not  taken  any  spirits  along  with 
them  to  the  sea-coast.  The  canoe  was  sent  with  five  men  to  procure^ 
the  provisions  and  goods  which  had  been  hidden  farther  down  the 
river.  These  were  all  found  intact. 

ABUNDANCE  OF  SALMON. — Several  parties  of  natives  now  arrived 
from  the  upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  river.  A  number  of  beaver 
robes  were  purchased.  Knives  were  preferred  in  exchange.  The 
Indians  who  had  charge  of  the  goods  and  canoe  which  had  been  left 
were  rewarded  with  such  presents  as  were  most  acceptable  to  them. 


78  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

The  run  of  salmon  ascending  the  river  was  very  large.  "They  were," 
says  the  journal,  "driving  up  the  current  in  such  large  shoals  that 
the  water  seemed,  as  it  were,  to  be  covered  with  the  fins  of  them." 
The  water  in  the  river  had  (August  7)  risen  at  least  a  foot  and  a  half 
in  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  A  week  of  incessant  toil  and  suffering 
from  cold  and  wet  brought  the  party  on  the  16th  to  the  carrying 
place  which  leads  to  the  first  small  lake  on  the  height  of  land  where 
are  the  sources  of  the  great  rivers,  the  Peace  River  and  the  Fraser 
River,  which  Mackenzie  supposed  was  the  Columbia.  After  portaging 
the  canoe  and  effects,  they  launched  on  the  waters  of  Peace  River  and 
glided  down  this  in  good  spirits  and  with  grateful  hearts.  They 
came  down  stream  in  one  day  a  distance  which  required  seven  days 
to  come  up..  Afterwards  several  portages  had  to  be  made  to  avoid 
heavy  falls.  Mackenzie  and  party  arrived  at  Fort  Chipeweyan  on 
the  24th  of  August,  1793,  after  an  absence  of  eleven  months. 

DR.  SANDFORD  FLEMING'S  OPINION. — One  of  the  best  living  autho- 
rities, Dr.  Sandford  Fleming,  writing  on  this  subject,  says  :  "  Every 
page  of  Mackenzie's  journal  shows  that  his  explorations  were  not 
effected  without  constant  toil  and  great  privations.  The  discourage- 
ments arising  from  the  difficulties  and  dangers  he  experienced,  and 
they  were  incessant,  had  no  influence  on  his  cool  determination  and 
dauntless  spirit.  The  many  tedious  and  weary  days  of  physical  labor 
and  mental  strain,  the  gloomy  and  inclement  nights  to  which  he  was 
constantly  exposed,  were  not,  however,  passed  in  vain.  He  gained 
his  great  reward  in  the  knowledge  that  lie  had  in  the  interests  of  his 
country  attained  the  object  of  his  design.  He  had  penetrated  a  vast 
continent,  for  the  most  part  in  a  condition  of  wild  nature ;  he  had 
overcome  the  obstacles  imposed  by  rapid  rivers  previously  unknown, 
by  rugged  mountain  ranges,  by  distance,  by  intervening  forests,  and 
by  the  extremes  of  a  variable  climate.  From  time  to  time  obstacles 
presented  themselves  in  the  enmity  of  hostile  native  tribes,  who  had 
never  before  looked  upon  the  face  of  a  white  man  ;  but  on  the  day  he 
arrived  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  had  the  unqualified  satisfaction  of 
feeling  that  his  undertakings  had  been  crowned  with  complete  success." 

A  LONG  AGITATED  QUESTION  SETTLED. — His  discoveries  settled  the 
dubious  point  of  a  practical  "  north-west  passage."  He  set  at  rest 
this  long  agitated  question  with  the  disputes  which  had  arisen  regard- 
ing it;  he  added  new  regions  to  the  realm  of  British  commerce,  and 
in  doing  so  extended  the  boundaries  of  geographical  science.  He  did 
much  more,  although  the  full  effect  of  all  he  had  accomplished  was 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  79 

unknown  to  him.  We  can  now,  however,  attribute  to  the  enterprises 
to  which  Mackenzie's  discoveries  led,  that  the  territory  became  a 
British  province.  Indeed  it  is  problematical  whether,  in  the  absence 
of  his  discoveries,  any  portion  of  that  country  would  at  present  con- 
stitute part  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 

THE  SERVICES  of  this  famous  explorer  were  appreciated  by  his 
sovereign,  King  George  III.,  who  bestowed  on  him  the  dignity  of 
knighthood.  On  July  20th,  1893,  a  public  meeting  of  pioneers  and 
others  was  held  at  Victoria,  in  centennial  commemoration  of  his 
overland  explorations  to  the  Pacific  coast.  It  was  resolved  that  a 
portrait  of  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  should  be  painted  and  placed  in 
the  new  legislative  buildings  now  in  course  of  erection  in  Victoria, 
the  capital  of  British  Columbia.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
carry  the  resolution  into  effect.  The  portrait  was  completed  without 
delay. 

The  following  particulars,  fuller  than  hitherto  published,  have  been 
furnished  the  author  by  an  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  D.  Masson,  of 
Edinburgh,  who  is  a  native  of  Ross-shire,  in  the  north  of  Scotland, 
and  an  enthusiastic  student  of  archaeology  and  historic  lore.  He 
wrote  under  date  of  May  4th,  1894,  that  he  had  just  returned  from 
a  visit  to  his  aged  mother  in  the  "  Black  Isle  of  Ross,"  whose  home, 
he  says,  is  barely  five  miles  from  Fortrose,  where  Sir  Alexander 
Mackenzie's  last  surviving  son  died  a  few  weeks  ago.  There  he  met 
Sir  Alexander's  grandson.  For  years  the  family  have  occupied  the 
old  deanery  of  Fortrose,  which  for  many  generations  belonged  to  Dr. 
Masson's  wife's  family — the  old  Mathesons,  of  Bennetsfield.  Young 
Mackenzie  showed  the  reverend  doctor  several  relics  of  his  grandfather. 
The  portrait  of  Sir  Alexander,  with  many  other  tine  portraits,  still 
adorns  the  wall  of  the  old  house. 

Dr.  Masson  states  that  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  was  born  in 
Stornoway,  Island  of  Lewis,  and  was  connected  with  the  old  Mac- 
kenzies,  of  Seaforth,  from  whom  Stornoway,  with  the  whole  island 
of  which  it  is  the  capital,  passed  more  than  fifty  years  ago  to  its 
present  proprietors,  the  Mathesons  of  Achay  and  Ardross.  The 
doctor  says:  "The  journal  of  Sir  Alexander's  great  voyages  is  full  of 
peril  and  adventure ;  is  a  record  of  brave  work,  indomitable 
endurance,  and  ready,  resourceful  reliance,  such  as  the  annals  of 
very  few  nations,  ancient  or  modern,  can  display.  Unlike  the 
modern  war  correspondent,  Sir  Alexander  did  not  'write  in  pictures.' 
He  was  a  man  of  action,  whose  literary  style  is  bare  and  unadorned. 


80  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

He  set  down  the  stirring  events  of  the  day  in  his  journal,  with  as 
little  thought  of  color  and  effect  as  if  he  were  still  sitting  at  his  desk 
in  the  Company's  counting-house,  calmly  entering  the  details  of 
prices  and  peltries." 

According  to  Dr.  Masson,  Mackenzie's  journal  was  one  of  the 
favorite  books  of  the  first  Napoleon.  He  had  it  translated  into 
French,  and  a  copy  of  the  translation  in  three  volumes  was  found  in 
his  library  at  St.  Helena.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Sir  Alexander's 
grandson,  the  Doctor  was  enabled  to  examine  these  interesting 
volumes,  and  also  to  read  a  most  interesting  manuscript,  in  autograph, 
which  throws  new  light  on  Napoleon's  secret  schemes  in  the  various 
adjustments  and  readjustments  of  his  plan  of  campaign  against  Great 
Britain.  Whilst  reading  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie's  journal,  he 
conceived  the  idea  of  distracting  the  affairs  of  Britain  by  attacking 
her  in  her  Canadian  possessions,  not  by  a  direct  descent  upon  them, 
but  by  a  route  which  he  expected  would  take  England  by  surprise, 
and  indeed  prove  infallible.  A  key  of  this  plan  of  invasion  was  to 
be  found  in  Sir  Alexander's  huge  quarto,  a  copy  of  which  was 
procured  in  France  "  through  the  smugglers,"  and  translated  into 
French  for  the  use  of  Napoleon's  right  hand  tactician.  This  was 
Bernadotte,  father  of  the  king  of  Sweden,  who  himself  told  the  story 
at  Stockholm  to  a  near  descendant  of  Sir  Alexander's  family.  The 
documentary  evidence  of  this  curious  bit  of  missing  history  the 
Doctor  carefully  examined.  A  full  copy  of  it  will  be  found  in  the 
appendix  to  "  Ballantyne's  Pioneers,"  published  in  1888,  by  James 
Nisbet  &  Co.,  London. 

Referring  further  to  this  brave  Scottish  Highlander  and  heroic 
explorer,  Dr.  Masson  states  that  "Mackenzie  was  for  a  time  the 
travelling  companion  in  America  of  the  Duke  of  Kent,  the  father  of 
our  Empress-queen.  In  acknowledgment  of  his  brave  exploits  and 
great  public  services  he  was  honored  with  knighthood  at  a  time  when 
knighthood  was  not  so  common  a  thing  as  it  has  come  to  be  in  our 
own  day.  Returning  to  Scotland,"  the  Doctor  continues,  "  he 
married  one  of  the  most  beautiful  women  I  ever  saw — the  heiress  of 
the  Mackenzies  of  Avoch.  As  a  Highland  proprietor  and  country 
gentleman  he  was  eminently  enterprising  and  popular.  It  looked  as 
if  he  would  leave  his  mark  upon  the  Highlands  as  a  great  agricultural 
improver.  But  on  March  12th,  1820,  his  eventful,  illustrious  and 
most  useful  life  was  suddenly  closed.  When  returning  from  London 
by  postchaise  he  was,  at  Moulin  (the  modern  summer  resort  of 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  81 

Pitlochry),  suddenly  seized  with  an  internal  inflammation,  which 
speedily  culminated  in  death.  His  remains  lie  in  the  old  churchyard 
at  Avoch,  beside  those  of  his  gifted  and  beautiful  wife,  Lady 
Geddes  Mackenzie,  who  survived  him  until  1860." 

A  Scottish  newspaper,  in  an  obituary  notice  of  the  death  of  Sir 
Alexander's  son,  says :  "  On  Wednesday  night  (28th  March,  1894), 
another  link  of  the  past  was  broken  by  the  death  of  Mr.  A.  G. 
Mackenzie,  of  Avoch.  The  old  laird,  as  he  was  affectionately  and 
respectfully  called,  was  a  very  great  favorite  in  the  district,  where  he 
had  endeared  himself  by  many  acts  of  kindness,  not  only  during  his 
residence  for  the  past  few  years,  but  on  the  former  occasion  in  which 
he  lived  at  Avoch  House.  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  the  elder  son  of  the 
well-known  American  explorer,  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie,  of  Avoch, 
and  to  whom  belonged  the  honor  of  discovering  the  great  Mackenzie 
River  in  1789,  the  river  being  appropriately  named  after  its  famous 
discoverer.  Mr.  Mackenzie  was  born  in  1818,  and  had  thus 
considerably  gone  beyond  the  allotted  threescore  years  and  ten. 
He  is  survived  by  three  sons  and  two  daughters." 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 


VANCOUVER'S  EXPLORATIONS,  ETC.— CONTINUED. 

His  VOYAGE  NORTH. — Returning  to  his  proceedings  in  1794,  we 
find  that  Captain  Vancouver,  after  spending  the  winter  at  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  proceeded  north  direct  to  the  Alaskan  coast  to  thoroughly 
examine  those  portions  of  the  mainland  southwards  which  had  not 
formerly  been  surveyed  by  him.  This  occupied  the  whole  season. 
He  was  enabled  to  report  conclusively  that  no  navigable  channel 
intersected  the  continent  south  of  the  latitudes  which  had  been 
explored  by  Captain  Cook  and  himself,  and  that  the  conjectured 
hyperborean  ocean  did  not  exist.  He  returned  to  Nootka  in  Septem- 
ber, where  he  remained  repairing  his  vessels  until  October.  During 
that  time  he  enjoyed  the  companionship  of  the  Spanish  commander, 
Alva,  and  exchanged  hospitalities  with  him.  They  together  paid  a 
visit  to  Chief  Maquinna,  who  prepared  a  great  feast  for  them. 


82  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

RETURN  TO  ENGLAND. — No  despatches  having  arrived  from  England 
or  the  Continent  of  Europe,  both  commanders,  at  nearly  the  same 
•date,  left  Nootka  for  Monterey,  where  despatches  would  first  arrive 
by  the  overland  route.  It  was  understood  there  that  no  alteration 
would  be  made  from  the  wording  of  the  first  article  of  the  Convention 
of  1790.  Vancouver,  therefore,  proceeded  to  England  via  Cape  Horn. 
He  reached  his  destination  in  October,  1795,  his  mission  having  been 
highly  successful ;  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  reporting  that  during 
"the  long  absence  of  four  years  and  nine  months,  the  Discovery  had 
only  lost  one  man  by  disease  out  of  the  complement  of  one  hundred 
men,  and  that  the  Chatham  had  not  lost  one  man  either  by  illness  or 
accident. 

A  GOOD  REPORT  OF  THE  NATIVES. — He  also  could  report  that  in 
his  extensive  dealings  with  the  Indians  along  many  hundred  miles  of 
the  coast,  he  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  using  harsh  measures 
•with  them.  His  principles  were  based  on  humanity  and  justice. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  other  British  explorers,  who  combined  trade 
•with  geographical  discoveries,  as  did  Meares,  Portlock,  Dixon  and 
Broughton,  who  had  been  trained  and  disciplined  officers  in  the 
British  navy,  and  were  qualified  to  control  the  conduct  of  their  sub- 
ordinates. Not  so  were  many  of  the  other  adventurers,  who  were  of 
the  Kendrick  stamp  and  ready  to  take  undue  advantage  of  the 
unsophisticated  natives.  This  was  felt  by  Vancouver,  as  the  natives 
began  to  discover  how  they  had  been  treated  by  unscrupulous  traders. 
When  on  the  northern  coast  in  1794,  before  leaving  for  Nootka,  he 
remarks  that  he  was  just  in  time  for  the  accomplishment  of  the 
arduous  and  hazardous  task  in  which  they  had  been  so  long  engaged. 
The  very  unjustifiable  conduct  of  the  traders  had  so  encouraged  and 
provoked  acts  of  hostility,  that  even  the  means  he  possessed  to  repel 
their  attacks  would  in  all  probability  have  been  insufficient,  had  it 
been  their  lot  to  have  been  obliged  to  try  the  experiment  one  year 
later. 

His  DEATH  IN  MAY,  1798. — Soon  after  Vancouver's  return  to 
England,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  post-captain,  which  is  next 
to  that  of  rear  admiral,  and  generally  secured  some  lucrative 
-appointment.  Unfortunately,  however,  his  health  failed  before  the 
work  he  had  prepared,  which  gave  an  account  of  his  voyage,  had  been 
published.  This  was  attended  to  by  his  brother.  He  died  near 
Petersham  on  the  Thames,  about  twenty  miles  west  of  London,  in 
May,  1798,  at  the  early  age  of  forty  years.  He  was  buried  in  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  XX 

cemetery  of  the  ancient  church  of  Petersham.  The  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  in  1841,  placed  in  the  old  church  a  handsome  tablet,  which 
is  an  enduring  and  graceful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Vancouver.  A 
fac  simile  of  the  tablet  and  a  sketch  of  the  church  were  made  by 
Mrs.  Beeton,  wife  of  the  agent-general  for  British  Columbia  in 
London,  and  appeared  in  the  Illustrated  London  News  of  3rd  Decem- 
ber, 1892.  A  copy  of  Vancouver's  portrait,  from  an  oil  painting  in 
the  National  Gallery,  London,  was  presented  by  Mr.  Beeton  to  the 
Board  of  Trade  in  Victoria,  from  which  the  portrait  in  this  work  was 
photographed.  Captain  Vancouver  named  Lynn  Canal,  on  the 
north-west  coast  (now  Alaska),  after  Lynn,  his  birthplace,  Norfolk, 
England. 

THE  NOOTKA  DIFFICULTY  SETTLKD. — On  the  llth  of  January,  1794, 
the  Nootka  difficulty  was  definitely  settled  at  a  convention  held  at 
Madrid.  The  agreement  was  signed  by  the  British  and  Spanish 
ministers,  St.  Helens  and  the  Duke  of  Alcudia.  It  was  to  the  effect 
that  commissioners  should  meet,  as  soon  as  possible,  on  or  near  the 
spot  where  stood  the  buildings  formerly  occupied  by  British  subjects, 
and  there  to  exchange  declaration  and  counter-declaration  as  literally 
prescribed  in  the  document,  which  provided  that  the  preliminaries 
having  been  complied  with,  the  "British  officer  shall  unfurl  the 
British  flag  over  the  land  thus  restored,  as  a  sign  of  possession,  and 
after  these  formalities  the  officers  of  the  two  crowns  shall  retire 
respectively  to  their  people  from  the  said  port  of  Nootka." 

COMMISSIONERS  FOR  SPAIN  AND  BRITAIN. — The  commissioners  ap- 
pointed to  carry  into  effect  the  agreement  between  Spain  and  Britain 
in  1794,  were  Lieutenant  Cosme  Bertodano,  on  behalf  of  Spain,  and 
Lieutenant  Thomas  Pierce,  of  the  Marines,  on  behalf  of  Britain. 
They  sailed  from  Monterey,  with  Brigadier-General  Alva  aboard  the 
Activa,  for  Nootka,  on  the  22nd  of  March,  1795.  Lieutenant  Pierce 
reports  to  his  superior  officer  as  follows :  "  In  obedience  to  your 
instructions  I  proceeded  from  Monterey  to  Nootka  in  company  with 
Brigadier-General  Alva,  the  officer  appointed  on  the  part  of  the  Court 
of  Spain,  for  finally  terminating  the  negotiations  relative  to  that  port  ; 
where,  having  satisfied  myself  respecting  the  state  of  the  country  at 
the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards,  preparations  were  imme- 
diately made  for  dismantling  the  fort  which  the  Spaniards  had  erected 
on  an  island  that  guarded  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  embarking 
the  ordnance.  By  the  morning  of  the  28th,  all  the  artillery  were 
embarked,  part  on  board  of  his  Catholic  Majesty's  ship  Activa^  and 


84  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

part  on  board  of  the  San  Carlos  guard  ship.  Brigadier-General  Alva 
and  myself  then  met,  agreeably  to  our  instructions,  on  the  place 
where  formerly  the  British  buildings  stood,  where  we  signed  and 
exchanged  the  declaration  and  counter-declaration  for  restoring  those 
lands  to  his  Majesty,  as  agreed  upon  between  the  two  Courts,  after 
which  ceremony  I  ordered  the  British  flag  to  be  hoisted  in  token  of 
possession,  and  the  General  gave  orders  for  the  troops  to  embark." 
Before  next  year  Maquinna  and  his  subjects  had  transferred  their 
village  to  the  site  of  the  abandoned  Spanish  post.  No  settlement  of 
white  men  has  since  been  made  at  Nootka. 

THE  BRITISH  FLAG. — This  simple  act  of  restoration  by  hoisting  the 
British  flag  at  Nootka,  as  mentioned,  completed  one  of  the  greatest 
victories,  although  bloodless,  which  has  ever  been  won  by  Great 
Britain.  Spain,  by  it,  gave  up  all  her  exclusive  and  arrogant  claims 
to  the  north-western  part  of  tne  Continent  of  America.  From  the 
tenor  of  the  elaborate  memorial  from  the  Court  of  Spain  to  the 
Convention  of  1790,  it  is  plain  that  then  she  had  no  intention  of 
abandoning  these  claims. 

CONFLICTS  WITH  COLONISTS. — This  was  a  critical  period  in  the 
history  of  the  North  American  continent.  Great  Britain  had  been 
engaged  in  seven  bitter  conflicts  with  France  and  her  own  colonists 
on  the  Atlantic  coasts.  The  latter  had  withdrawn  her  forces  and 
garrison  from  the  citadel  of  Quebec  and  ceded  Canada  to  the  British. 
The  colonists  had  formed  themselves  into  an  independent  government 
which  styled  themselves  "  The  United  States  of  America ; "  so  that 
the  whole  of  the  continent,  north  of  Mexico,  with  the  small  strip  of 
coast  claimed  by  Russia,  was  then  in  possession  of  Great  Britain  and 
her  seceded  colonists.  To  define  and  settle  the  boundaries  which 
should  belong  to  each  required  time  and  deliberation.  No  inland 
settlements  of  white  population  had  as  yet  been  made.  The  whole  of 
the  unexplored  region  north  of  California  was  termed  Oregon. 

OBJECTIONABLE  CONDUCT  OF  TRADERS. — Along  the  whole  coast  of 
the  Pacific,  north  of  the  settlements  of  the  Spaniards,  which  did  not 
reach  beyond  San  Francisco,  fur  traders  were  now  at  liberty  to  carry 
on  their  traffic  in  any  way  they  considered  most  profitable.  The 
good  examples  hitherto  shown,  and  the  humane  treatment  of  the 
natives  by  Captains  Cook,  Meares,  Vancouver,  and  other  early 
British  explorers,  were  neither  followed  nor  practised  by  subsequent 
dealers.  As  the  coast  became  better  known,  and  without  any 
restraining  influence,  those  traders  rushed  from  cove  to  village,  taking 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  85 

every  advantage  of  the  unsophisticated  natives  to  obtain  the  coveted 
furs.  Intoxicating  liquor  of  the  vilest  sort  was  freely  introduced. 
Demoralization  and  disease  followed.  The  cupidity,  greed  of  gratifi- 
cation and  recklessness  of  the  Indians  induced  them  to  capture,  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  the  valuable  sea-otters,  which,  notwith- 
standing their  great  numbers,  before  long  showed  the  effect  of 
incessant  and  indiscriminate  hunting.  Other  evils  followed.  The 
natives,  finding  themselves  over-reached  in  trade,  and  often  ill-used, 
became  suspicious  and  revengeful.  Their  plan  of  redress  generally 
was  to  inflict  punishment  on  the  first  party  who  came  to  hand, 
whether  they  were  the  offenders  or  not. 

THE  SEA-OTTER  TRADE. — Chief  Maquinna  still  retained  the  reins 
of  power  at  Nootka.  There  is  little  to  be  said  concerning  the  year 
1796.  The  sea-otter  trade  was  continued,  chiefly  northward.  Captain 
Broughton,  who  formerly  was  with  Captain  Vancouver,  arrived  at 
Nootka  during  the  summer.  On  his  way  from  the  Sandwich  Islands 
he  made  a  few  surveys  on  the  Asiatic  coast,  and  completed  certain 
work  north  of  Queen  Charlotte  Islands.  He  remained,  making 
repairs,  two  months  at  ISTootka  and  neighborhood ;  also  visiting  the 
Straits  of  Fuca  and  Neah  Bay.  During  1797  and  1798,  the  vessels 
which  arrived  on  the  north-west  coast  were  chiefly  from  Boston. 
Two  years  were  generally  required  by  them  to  complete  their  trips. 
Richard  J.  Cleveland,  in  a  vessel  from  Massachusetts,  obtained  a 
very  large  quantity  of  prime  sea-otter  skins,  in  1797,  from  Queen 
Charlotte  Islands. 

GREAT  PROFITS. — The  number  of  sea-otter  skins  from  the  north- 
wetet  coast  sold  in  China,  in  1785,  '6,  '7,  not  including  those  secured 
by  Meares's  operations,  is  stated  to  have  been  5,800,  value  $160,700. 
From  1799  to  1802  inclusive,  the  numbers  for  each  of  those  years 
respectively  are  given  at  11,000,  9,500,  14,000,  and  14,000,  or  a  total 
of  48,500,  which,  at  an  average  of  $30  per  skin,  amounts  to  nearly 
one  and  a  half  million  dollars.  Frequently  the  profits  were  enormous. 
A  celebrated  trader,  named  Sturgis,  states  that  he  had  personally 
collected  6,000  skins  in  a  single  voyage,  and  that  he  once  purchased 
560,  of  prime  quality,  in  half  a  day.  In  1801,  which  was  the  most 
flourishing  period  of  the  trade,  fifteen  United  States  vessels  were 
engaged  trading  on  the  west  coast,  but  only  one  British.  During  this 
year  the  United  States  vessels  brought  18,000  skins  to  China.  In 
succeeding  years  the  catch  became  smaller  and  smaller  until  the  year 
880,  when  the  trade  was  centred  in  San  Francisco.  The  average 


86  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

catch  then  was  5,500  per  annum,  which  at  an  average  price  of 
per  skin,  would  equal  $440,000. 

PARTICULARS  RESPECTING  SEA-OTTERS. — Captain  William  Sturgis, 
of  Boston,  the  trader  already  mentioned,  speaking  of  otter  skins,  says  : 
"  A  full  grown,  prime,  which  has  been  stretched  before  drying,  is 
about  five  feet  long  and  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  wide,  covered 
with  very  fine  fur,  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length,  having  a 
rich  jet  black,  glossy  surface,  and  exhibiting  a  silver  color  when 
blown  open.  Those  are  esteemed  the  finest  which  have  some  white 
hairs  interspersed  and  scattered  over  the  whole  surface,  and  a  per- 
fectly white  head.  .  .  .  Otters  are  sometimes  seen  many  leagues 
from  land,  sleeping  on  their  backs  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  with 
their  young  ones  reclining  on  their  breast.  .  .  .  The  cubs  are 
incapable  of  swimming  until  they  are  several  months  old.  .  .  .  She 
will  not  leave  her  young  ones  in  the  moment  of  danger,  and  therefore 
shares  their  fate.  .  .  .  They  are  unable  to  remain  under  water 
longer  than  two  minutes.  .  .  .  The  male  otter  is,  beyond  all  com- 
parison, more  beautiful  than  the  female.  .  .  .  Skins  of  this  animal 
taken  in  the  Corean  and  Japan  seas  are  superior  to  those  of  Russia 
or  the  north-western  coast  of  America.  .  .  .  Nothing  can  be  more 
beautiful  than  one  of  these  animals  when  seen  swimming,  especially 
when  on  the  look-out  for  any  object.  At  such  times  it  raises  its  head 
quite  above  the  surface."  The  number  now  caught  on  the  coast  of 
British  Columbia  is  very  limited.  A  prime  skin  is  sold  as  high  as 
one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars. 

THE  FATE  OF  DESERTERS. — The  ship  Manchester,  of  Philadelphia, 
touched  at  Nootka,  in  1802.  She  had  a  rich  and  valuable  cargo, 
which  was  obtained  in  England.  Seven  of  her  crew  deserted  whilst 
at  Nootka,  and  placed  themselves  under  Maquinna's  protecting  care. 
Shortly  afterwards  they  attempted  to  desert  to  another  chief  tain  r 
but  were  captured  and  put  to  death  in  the  most  cruel  manner. 

TROUBLE  WITH  CHIEF  MAQUINNA. — Next  year,  1803,  the  ship 
Boston,  Captain  John  Salter,  sailed  from  Boston  and  reached  Nootka, 
direct  without  calling  at  any  other  port.  She  anchored  a  short  dis- 
tance along  the  cove  beyond  Maquinna's  village,  and  the  crew  were  for 
several  days  engaged  in  obtaining  wood  and  water.  In  the  meantime 
Maquinna  and  his  people  visited  the  ship  daily,  and  were  entertained 
as  was  usual  in  such  cases.  To  Maquinna  the  captain  presented  a 
double-barrelled  fowling-piece,  with  which  he  expressed  himself  well 
pleased.  After  the  ship  was  nearly  ready  to  depart,  Maquinna  came 


THE   FUR-TKADING    PERIOD.  87 

aboard  with  a  gift  of  wild  ducks,  bringing  back  the  gun  with  one  of 
the  locks  broken,  remarking  that  it  was  peshak,  or  bad.  Captain 
Halter  took  offence  at  the  expression,  told  the  chief  he  was  a  liar,  and 
adding  some  other  opprobrious  terms,  took  the  gun  from  him  and 
tossed  it  indignantly  into  the  cabin.  Maquinna,  who  knew  enough 
of  English  to  understand  what  the  captain  said,  did  not  utter  a  word 
in  reply,  but  smothered  his  rage  ;  and  when  the  captain  was  speak- 
ing, repeatedly  put  his  hand  to  his  throat,  and  rubbed  it  across  his 
breast.  This  he  did,  as  he  afterwards  told  Jewitt,  "  to  keep  down  his 
heart,  which  he  said  was  rising  in  his  throat  and  choking  him." 

INDIAN  TACTICS. — Soon  afterwards,  Maquinna  went  ashore  full  of 
vengeance  for  the  insults  which  had  been  offered  to  him.  He  con- 
nected the  present  with  former  bad  usage  which  he  had  received  from 
other  parties,  and  thought  it  would  be  a  good  opportunity  to  wipe  out 
old  scores.  Several  of  his  chiefs  had  been  killed  by  the  Spaniards 
and  by  peshak  whites,  who  during  his  absence  had  carried  off  forty 
otter  skins,  had  frightened  his  women  and  had  committed  sundry 
offences.  He  resolved  to  .capture  the  Boston,  and  slaughter  all  on 
board.  They  were  all  guilty  from  his  point  of  view.  On  the  follow- 
ing morning  the  natives  came  aboard  with  salmon,  and  remained 
around  the  deck  as  usual.  About  noon,  Maquinna  and  several  subor- 
dinate chiefs  arrived,  and  being  examined  as  was  customary,  were 
allowed  on  board.  At  an  interview  with  Captain  Salter,  Maquinna 
expressed  contrition  for  his  conduct  on  the  preceding  day.  He  asked 
and  received  permission  to  have  a  dance  and  frolic  with  his  followers, 
to  make  up  for  the  past  misunderstanding.  It  was  arranged  that 
nine  of  the  ship's  men  should  go  and  procure  salmon  some  distance 
away.  Maquinna  was  dressed  fantastically  for  the  dance.  He  had 
on  a  frightful  mask  and  carried  a  whistle  in  his  hand.  He  appeared 
remarkably  gay  and  good-humored. 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  "  BOSTON." — As  soon  as  the  ship's  boats  had  left, 
the  performance  commenced;  the  Indians  capered  around  the  deck, 
entertaining  the  crew  with  all  sorts  of  antics  and  gestures,  keeping 
time  with  the  music  of  the  chief's  whistle.  Other  Indians  were 
allowed  to  come  aboard  the  ship  to  see  the  sports.  The  armorer  of 
the  ship,  John  R.  Jewitt,  gives  the  following  particulars  in  a  book 
published  in  1807,  in  Boston:  "Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the 
boats,  I  went  down  to  my  vise-bench  in  the  steerage,  where  I  was 
employed  in  cleaning  muskets.  I  had  not  been  there  more  than  an 
hour,  when  I  heard  the  men  hoisting  in  the  long  boat,  which  in  a  few 


88  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

minutes  after  was  succeeded  by  a  great  bustle  and  confusion  on  deck. 
T  immediately  ran  up  the  steerage  stairs,  but  scarcely  was  my  head 
above  deck,  when  I  was  caught  by  the  hair  by  one  of  the  savages, 
and  lifted  from  my  feet.  Fortunately  for  me,  my  hair  being  short, 
and  the  ribbon  with  which  it  was  tied  slipping,  I  fell  from  his  hold 
into  the  steerage.  As  I  was  falling  he  struck  at  me  with  an  axe, 
which  cut  a  deep  gash  on  my  forehead  and  penetrated  the  skull ;  but 
in  consequence  of  his  losing  his  hold,  I  luckily  escaped  the  full  force 
of  the  blow.  I  fell  stunned  and  senseless  on  the  floor." 

JEWITT'S  ACCOUNT. — On  regaining  consciousness,  Jewitt  found  the 
hatch  closed,  and  by  the  yells  of  the  savages  concluded  they  were  in 
possession  of  the  ship.  Presently  he  was  brought  before  Maquinna, 
and  promised  his  life  on  condition  of  becoming  a  slave  and  making 
weapons  for  his  master.  On  the  quarter-deck  he  was  shown,  in  a 
ghastly  line,  the  heads  of  twenty-five  murdered  companions,  and  was 
ordered  to  identify  each  by  name.  John  Thompson,  sail-maker,  was 
discovered  in  the  hold  along  with  Jewitt,  where  he  had  concealed 
himself.  His  life  was  spared,  Jewitt  representing  him  as  his  father. 
The  ship  was  then  towed  to  Friendly  Cove  and  beached,  when  the 
cargo  was  taken  out  and  distributed  among  the  tribe.  In  a  few  days 
afterwards  the  vessel  was  burned. 

ARRIVAL  OF  THE  "  LYDIA." — The  two  survivors  lived  among  the 
savages  in  Maquinna's  service  until  1805,  when  the  Lydia,  Captain 
Hill,  anchored  at  Nootka.  Since  the  massacre  of  the  crew  of  the 
Boston,  traders  avoided  the  place.  Maquinna,  desirous  of  renewing 
old  commercial  relations,  got  Jewitt  to  write  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Captain  Hill,  the  chief  himself  to  be  the  bearer.  The  letter, 
however,  contained  a  request  that  Maquinna  should  be  held  a  captive 
until  Jewitt  and  Thompson  were  released,  which  was  required  to  be 
done  without  delay.  The  request  was  complied  with.  The  two  men 
now  free,  proceeded  along  with  the  Lydia,  and  reached  Boston  via 
China  before  the  end  of  1807.  Jewitt  was  an  Englishman  only 
twenty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  capture. 

ANOTHER  ATTACK. — In  1805,  a  Boston  ship,  Captain  Porter,  was 
attacked  by  the  savages  in  Millbank  Sound.  A  number  of  them  were 
on  board  trading,  when  the  captain  noticed  some  of  them  cutting  the 
cable  by  which  the  ship  was  secured.  He  fired  his  blunderbuss,  killing 
six  of  the  natives.  In  the  scrimmage  which  succeeded,  the  captain 
and  six  seamen  were  killed,  after  which  the  other  seamen  succeeded 
in  repelling  the  assailants  and  saving  the  vessel.  Captain  Porter  was 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  89 

stabbed  in  the  back  and  thrown  overboard.  This  year  the  United 
States  explorers,  Lewis  and  Clarke,  readied  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  River  overland  from  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri.  A 
Russian  vessel,  the  Juno,  Captain  DeWolf,  also  made  a  visit  along 
the  western  coast,  calling  at  Nootka  and  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia. 

A  RUSSIAN  PROJECT. — The  trade  of  shipping  spars  from  the 
Columbia  River  was  initiated  in  1806,  by  the  Lydia,  on  her  return 
from  the  cruise  north  with  Jewitt  and  Thompson  aboard.  The  same 
year  the  Russian  inspector,  Rezanof,  purchased  the  Juno  for  his 
company  at  Archangel.  He  urged  on  his  company  and  his  govern- 
ment the  importance  of  founding  a  Russian  establishment  on  the 
Columbia  River,  with  a  view  of  gaining  exclusive  possession  of  the 
fur  trade.  To  accomplish  this,  he  considered  it  would  be  necessary 
to  build,  as  soon  as  possible,  an  armed  brig  to  drive  away  the 
"  Bostonians  "  from  this  trade'forever.  "  From  the  Columbia,"  he  said, 
"  we  could  gradually  advance  toward  the  south  to  the  port  of  San 
Francisco.  I  think  I  may  say,"  he  continues,  "  that  at  the  Columbia 
we  could  attract  population  from  various  localities,  and  in  the  course 
of  ten  years  we  should  become  strong  enough  to  make  use  of  any 
favorable  turn  in  European  politics  to  include  the  coast  of  California 
in  the  Russian  possessions." 

TRADING-POST  ON  THE  COLUMBIA. — The  Russians  now  took  an  active 
part  in  the  trade  of  the  coast,  and  made  arrangements  with  certain 
traders  to  hunt  on  shares.  The  "  Winships,"  wealthy  ship-owners, 
continued  to  carry  on  an  extensive  trade  in  1808,  '9,  '10,  and  had 
planned  a  permanent  settlement  or  trading-post  on  the  Columbia 
River.  A  site  was  selected  at  a  place  called  Point  Oak,  on  the 
southern  bank,  about  forty  miles  from  the  mouth.  After  considerable 
progress  had  been  made  on  a  building,  and  in  preparing  land  for 
crops,  an  inundation  forced  them  to  move  to  a  higher  spot  near  by. 
The  hostile  attitude  of  the  Indians  caused  the  project  to  be  abandoned 
altogether,  although  the  Indians  might  have  been  easily  controlled 
during  the  ship's  presence,  it  was  not  deemed  safe  to  leave  a  small 
party  exposed  to  such  danger. 

ASTORIA  FOUNDED. — John  Jacob  Astor,  of  New  York,  who  had 
accumulated  a  considerable  fortune  in  fur  dealing,  instituted  in  1810 
the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  with  Astoria,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
River,  as  its  emporium.  He  hoped  to  establish  a  line  of  posts  across 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  within  the  United  States  territory,  and  so 
become  the  great  fur  monopolist  of  the  whole  country.  After  the 


90  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

war  of  1812  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  British 
fur-traders  were  prohibited  by  Congress  from  carrying  on  their 
business  within  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  so  that  Mr.  Astor 
found  himself  with  no  more  advantages  than  others. 

THE  ILL-FATED  SHIP  "ToNQUiN." — To  supply  Mr.  Astor's  establish- 
ment at  Astoria,  the  ship  Tonguin,  Captain  Jonathan  Thorn,  left 
.New  York  in  September,  1810,  and  entered  the  Columbia  in  March, 
1811.  Captain  Thorn  had  for  principal  officer,  Alexander  Mackay, 
who  had  in  1792-93  accompanied  Alexander  Mackenzie  in  his  journey 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  After  landing  the  Astoria  portion  of  the  cargo 
and  arranging  the  preliminary  work  of  the  post,  Captain  Thorn 
departed  on  a  trading  voyage  northward  with  a  company  of  twenty- 
three  men,  including  officers.  They  sailed  until  they  reached 
Vancouver  Island  and  Clayoquot  Sound,  which  was  then,  the  report 
says,  inhabited  by  a  powerful  tribe — the  Wah-en-ishes.  These  people 
came  aboard  to  barter  furs  for  merchandise,  and  conducted  themselves 
in  the  most  friendly  manner  during  the  first  day.  The  same  evening 
information  was  brought  on  board  by  an  Indian,  whom  the  officers 
had  engaged  as  an  interpreter,  that  the  tribe  was  ill-disposed  and 
intended  attacking  the  ship  next  day.  Captain  Thorn,  whose  conduct 
during  the  voyage,  arid  especially  during  the  short  stay  made  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  showed  him  to  be  tyrannical  and  obstinate,  affected 
to  disbelieve  the  news. 

DEATH  OF  ALEXANDER  MACKAY. — Next  morning  the  savages  came 
around  the  vessel  in  great  numbers.  Mackay  advised  caution,  and 
ordered  seven  men  aloft  to  unfurl  the  sails.  In  the  meantime  the 
captain  permitted  about  fifty  Indians  to  come  on  board.  They 
immediately  began  to  exchange  otter  skins  for  blankets  and  knives. 
The  blankets  they  threw  into  their  canoes,  but  secreted  the  knives. 
As  had  been  previously  arranged  by  them,  when  armed  they  moved 
from  the  quarter-deck  to  different  parts  of  the  vessel,  so  that  when 
everything  was  in  readiness  they  were  so  distributed  that  at  least 
three  savages  were  opposite  to  every  man  on  the  ship.  At  a  given 
signal  they  rushed  on  their  prey,  and  notwithstanding  the  brave 
resistance  of  the  crew  on  deck,  every  individual  was  butchered  in  a 
few  minutes. 

FIVE  OF  THE  CREW  RETREATED  TO  THE  CABIN. — The  men  aloft,  in 
attempting  to  descend,  lost  two  of  their  men,  besides  one  mortally 
wounded,  who,  notwithstanding  his  weakened  condition,  made  good 
his  retreat  with  the  four  others  to  the  cabin.  The  interpreter  escaped 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  91 

and  was  secreted  by  the  women.  He  afterwards  reached  Astoria 
and  reported  the  affair.  Those  in  the  cabin  found  loaded  arms,  and 
began  firing  on  their  savage  assailants  through  the  skylights  and  the 
companion-way,  which  had  the  effect  of  clearing  the  ship  in  a 
short  time,  and  long  before  night  the  five  men  had  full  possession. 
Whether  from  lack  of  ability  to  navigate  the  vessel  back  to  the 
Columbia  River  or  want  of  courage,  the  four  men  who  were  unhurt 
left  in  the  long  boat  early  the  following  morning.  They  wished  the 
wounded  man  to  accompany  them,  but  he  refused,  saying  he  must 
die  before  Jong  and  was  as  well  in  the  vessel  as  elsewhere. 

MAGAZINE  BLOWN  UP. — Soon  after  sunrise,  the  Tonquin  was 
surrounded  by  a  great  number  of  Indians  in  canoes.  They  came  for 
the  purpose  of  unloading  her,  but  from  the  warm  parting  they  got  on 
the  previous  day,  did  not  seem  forward  in  boarding.  The  wounded 
man.  however,  showed  himself  at  the  railing,  made  signs  that  he  was 
alone  and  wanted  their  assistance,  on  which  some  ventured  on  board 
and  found  what  he  said  was  true.  They  spoke  to  their  people,  who 
then  came  aboard  quickly,  so  that  in  a  very  short  time  the  deck  was 
considerably  thronged,  and  they  proceeded  to  undo  the  hatches 
without  any  further  ceremony.  No  sooner  were  they  completely 
engaged  in  this,  than  the  only  survivor  of  the  crew  descended  to  the 
cabin,  and  having  everything  in  readiness,  set  tire  to  the  magazine, 
containing  nearly  nine  thousand  pounds  of  gunpowder,  which,  in  an 
instant,  blew  the  vessel  and  everyone  on  board  to  atoms.  The 
Indian  nation  acknowledged  having  lost  one  hundred  warriors,  beside 
a  vast  number  of  wounded,  by  the  explosion,  which  included  those  in 
canoes  around  the  ship.  The  four  men  who  set  off  in  the  long  boat 
were,  two  or  three  days  afterwards,  driven  ashore  in  a  gale  and 
massacred  by  the  natives.  The  interpreter  was  detained  two  years 
in  slavery  before  he  effected  his  escape. 

INTOXICATING  LIQUOR  PLAYS  HAVOC. — Whilst  on  the  sea-board  of 
the  Pacific,  the  natives  were  yearly  becoming  more  demoralized, 
more  passionately  fond  of  intoxicating  liquor,  which  was  supplied  to 
them  ad  libitum  by  many  of  the  masters  of  trading- vessels  to  whom 
the  demoralization  of  the  people  was  a  matter  of  indifference  so  long- 
as  they  were  enabled  to  fill  their  ships  with  furs,  the  North-West 
Company  were  extending  their  trade  westward,  following  at  first  the 
course  of  travel  which  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  took  in  his 
exploratory  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1792-93. 


92  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEK   IX. 


FURTHER   EXPLORATIONS    AND    FUR-TRADING. 

THE  NORTH-WEST  COMPANY. — Mr.  Simon  Fraser's  explorations 
next  come  in  order.  They  have  exercised  considerable  influence  on 
the  history  of  British  Columbia.  Fraser  entered  the  service  of  the 
North- West  Company  in  1792,  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  ten  years 
later  he  became  a  partner.  In  1805  a  conference  was  held  at  Fort 
William,  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  to  discuss  the  advisability  of 
extending  the  operations  of  the  Company  beyond  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, for  the  purpose  of  occupying  the  territory.  This  action  was 
taken  to  anticipate  the  United  States  explorers  and  traders  who 
might  advance  northward  and  establish  a  claim  to  ownership  by 
right  of  discovery  and  occupation.  It  was  decided  that  trading-posts 
should  be  established  in  the  then  unknown  territory,  and  possession 
should  in  this  way  be  taken  of  it.  The  duty  of  carrying  out  this 
project  was  assigned  to  Mr.  Fraser.  He  soon  afterwards  left  Fort 
William,  made  his  way  to  Lake  Athabasca,  and  ascended  Peace  River 
to  a  suitable  place  in  the  mountains,  where  he  established  a  trading 
post,  which  he  named  Rocky  Mountain  Portage.  Placing  men  in 
charge,  he  continued  his  journey  to  McLeod  Lake,  which  he  discov- 
ered, and  where  he  established  Fort  McLeod. 

STUART  RIVER  AND  LAKE. — He  portaged  to  Fraser  River  in  1806. 
At  that  date  it  was  regarded  as  the  main  stream  of  the  Columbia,  or 
one  of  its  principal  affluents.  Leaving  the  Fraser  River,  he  ascended 
a  tributary  flowing  from  the  westward,  now  known  as  Stuart  River, 
and  so  named  from  a  companion  in  the  service,  Mr.  John  Stuart. 
He  traced  this  stream  to  Stuart  Lake ;  he  here  established  a  trading- 
post,  the  present  Fort  St.  James.  He  penetrated  to  Fraser  Lake, 
another  of  his  discoveries,  and  there  also  he  established  a  trading- 
station. 

ARRIVAL  OF  CANOES  AND  SUPPLIES. — In  1807,  two  canoes  with 
goods  from  Athabasca  reached  him,  under  the  charge  of  Messrs. 
Quesnel  and  Parries ;  at  the  same  time  he  received  letters  urging  him 
to  carry  on  his  explorations  to  the  ocean,  by  the  river  flowing  through 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  93 

the  country  to  the  south,  in  anticipation  of  parties  from  the  United 
States  who  were  displaying  some  activity  at  this  date ;  Lewis  and 
Clark  having  been  sent  out  by  the  United  States  government  to  the 
Pacific  coast.  This  year  Mr.  Fraser  established  another  post,  Fort 
George,  on  the  main  stream.  The  name  New  Caledonia  was  applied 
to  the  whole  territory. 

PREPARATIONS  COMPLETED. — In  the  spring  of  1808,  Mr.  Fraser, 
with  Messrs.  John  Stuart,  Jules  Maurice  Quesnel,  and  a  crew  of 
nineteen  men  and  two  Indians,  embarked  in  four  well-furnished 
canoes  to  explore  the  unknown  waters,  which  were  regarded  as  the 
main  affluent  of  the  Columbia.  They  left  Fort  George  on  May  26th, 
where  the  river  is  described  as  three  hundred  yards  wide,  with  a 
strong  current.  They  reached  its  mouth  on  July  1st,  and  found  the 
latitude  to  be  about  49°,  establishing  that  the  river  was  a  separate 
and  distinct  stream  and  not  the  Columbia,  which  it  was  then  known 
entered  the  ocean  in  46°  20'. 

FRIENDLY  INDIANS. — For  a  few  days  after  leaving  Fort  George, 
the  expedition  made  rapid  progress.  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  had, 
fifteen  years  earlier,  passed  over  some  extent  of  the  distance  to  the 
point  where,  on  the  advice  of  the  Indians,  he  turned  back,  to  follow 
a  trail  westward  to  the  sea.  The  Indians  whom  Mr.  Fraser  met 
were  friendly,  and  gave  him  similar  advice;  they  informed  him  that 
the  descent  of  the  river  was  extremely  dangerous,  that  he  could  not 
go  on,  and  that  the  whole  party  would  meet  destruction  if  they  made 
the  attempt.  The  object  of  the  undertaking  being' to  follow  the  river 
to  the  mouth,  Fraser  declined  to  turn  back.  The  verification  of  the 
Indian  description  of  the  navigation  was  not  long  delayed,  for  in  a 
short  time  appalling  difficulties  were  encountered. 

FRASER'S  JOURNAL. — A  narrative  of  the  journey  in  Fraser's  journal, 
published  a  few  years  ago  by  Senator  Masson,  furnishes  the  following 
extracts:  "On  June  1st,  five  days  after  they  started,  the  river  nar- 
rowed to  a  canyon,  in  which  they  lost  one  of  their  three  canoes."  On 
the  5th,  the  river  contracted  to  a  width  of  not  over  thirty  yards, 
between  precipices,  the  water  "turbulent,  noisy  and  awful  to  behold." 
They  made  a  portage  of  a  mile  over  most  difficult  ground,  leaving  the 
men  harassed  by  fatigue.  On  the  6th,  finding  a  cascade  and  whirl- 
pool hemmed  in  by  huge  rocks,  to  avoid  portaging  they  lightened  the 
canoes  and  ran  the  rapids.  On  the  9th,  "the  .channel  contracted  to 
about  forty  yards,  and  is  enclosed  by  two  precipices  of  immense 
height,  which,  bending  towards  each  other,  make  it  narrower  above 


94  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

than  below.  The  water  which  rolls  down  this  extraordinary  passage 
in  tumultuous  waves  and  with  great  velocity,  had  a  frightful  appear- 
ance. However,  it  being  absolutely  impossible  to  carry  canoes  by 
land,  all  hands  without  hesitation  embarked  as  it  were  a  corps  perdu 
upon  the  mercy  of  the  awful  tide.  .  .  .  Skimming  along  as  fast  as 
lightning,  the  crews,  cool  and  determined,  followed  each  other  in 
awful  silence,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  end,  we  stood  gazing  at 
each  other  in  silent  congratulation  on  our  narrow  escape  from  total 
destruction." 

ABANDONED  THE  CANOES. — Eraser's  journal  further  states  :  "This 
afternoon  the  rapids  were  very  bad  ;  two  in  particular  were  worse,  if 
possible,  than  any  we  had  hitherto  met  with,  being  a  continual  series 
of  cascades,  intercepted  with  rocks  and  bounded  by  precipices  and 
mountains  that  seemed  at  times  to  have  no  end."  At  last  they  found 
the  navigation  wholly  impracticable,  while  the  precipitous  river  sides 
had  a  most  forbidding  aspect.  Even  men  of  their  nerve  could 
proceed  no  further  on  the  foaming  stream.  On  the  10th  they  were 
compelled  to  abandon  the  canoes  and  many  articles  not  absolutely 
required.  They  started  to  travel  the  rugged  banks  on  foot,  each 
with  a  load  of  eighty  pounds. 

REACHED  THE  CONFLUENCE  OF  A  LARGE  RIVER. — To  describe  the 
walking  would  baffle  description  ;  only  those  who  know  the  river  can 
imagine  what  these  travellers  endured,  passing  along  the  declivity  of 
mountains,  ascending  and  descending  rugged  rocks,  crossing  ravines 
and  climbing  precipices.  Thus  they  continued  for  nine  days,  until 
they  reached  a  large  and  rapid  river  flowing  from  the  east.  This  was 
named  Thompson  River,  after  David  Thompson,  astronomer  to  the 
North-West  Company,  who  shortly  afterwards  founded  Fort  Kamloops 
at  some  distance  up  the  river. 

JACKASS  MOUNTAIN. — That  part  of  the  bank  now  known  as  Jackass 
Mountain  was  reached  on  the  20th.  The  journal  reads  :  "  The  ascent 
was  dangerous;  stones  and  fragments  of  rocks  were  continually  giving 
way  from  our  feet  and  rolling  off  in  succession.  The  ascent  (on  the 
25th)  was  perfectly  perpendicular ;  one  of  the  Indians  climbed  to  the 
summit,  and  by  means  of  a  long  pole,  drew  us  up  one  after  the 
other.  This  work  took  three  hours  ;  thus  we  continued  our  course, 
up  hills  and  down,  and  along  the  steep  declivities  of  mountains, 
where  hanging  rocks  and  projecting  cliffs  at  the  edge  of  the  bank  of 
the  river,  made  the  passage  so  small  as  to  render  it  at  times  difficult 
for  one  person  to  pass  sideways." 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  95 

SPUZZUM. — They  arrived  at  what  is  now  called  Spuzzum,  on  the 
26th  ;  on  the  29th  they  emerged  from  the  canyon,  and  were  for- 
tunate enough  to  obtain  a  canoe  from  the  Indians  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, by  means  of  which  they  reached  tide  water  on  July  1st. 
The  Indians  on  the  coast  were  exceedingly  troublesome,  so  Fraser 
was  obliged  to  hasten  his  departure.  With  his  party  he  started  on 
July  3rd,  returning  by  the  route  they  name,  and  reached  their 
starting-point,  Fort  George,  on  the  6th  of  August. 


CHAPTEE  X. 


ROUTE  TO  THE  PACIFIC. 

DAVID  THOMPSON,  THE  ASTKONOMER. — Communication  to  the  in- 
terior of  New  Caledonia  from  the  Pacific  was  not  rendered  available  by 
the  Columbia  River  route  until  after  David  Thompson,  already  men- 
tioned, had  reached  Fort  Astoria,  which  he  did  in  1811,  but  not  by 
the  route  from  Athabasca.  Mr.  Thompson  was  of  Welsh  parentage. 
He  was  born  in  1770,  and  received  his  education  at  "The  Grey  Coat 
School,"  London.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany in  1789,  and  proceeded  to  Fort  Churchill,  where  he  remained 
five  years.  During  the  succeeding  nine  years  he  was  engaged  in 
making  surveys  of  the  Rivers  Nelson,  Churchill,  Saskatchewan  and 
their  tributaries,  frequently  visiting  York  Factory  during  that  period. 

JOINED  THE  NORTH-WEST  COMPANY. — Having  completed  his  en- 
gagement with  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  he  joined  the  North- West 
Company  in  1797,  when  he  went  to  the  Grand  Portage,  near  Lake 
Superior.  Following  his  duties  as  astronomer  and  geographer  to  the 
Company,  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  present  with  the  Mandan 
Indians  in  Missouri,  at  Lac  La  Biche,  Lake  Athabasca,  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  nearly  all  the  stations  of  the  Company  throughout 
the  vast  territory. 

NUMEROUS  AND  DIFFICULT  JOURNEYS. — He  made  several  attempts 
to  cross  the  Rocky  Mountains  farther  south  than  the  Peace  River 
Pass  used  by  Mackenzie  and  Fraser.  In  1800,  he  entered  the  moun- 
tains at  the  head  waters  of  the  Bow  River  by  the  same  pass  as  that 
now  followed  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway.  He  descended  one 


96  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

of  the  branches  of  the  Columbia,  but  was  compelled  by  hostile  Indians 
to  return.  In  1807,  he  was  again  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  passing 
by  what  is  now  known  as  Howe's  Pass.  This  time  he  reached  the 
Columbia  River,  and  ascended  it  to  the  source,  where  he  built  Fort 
Kootenay.  In  1808,  he  descended  River  Kootenay  to  Kootenay 
Lake,  where  he  entered  into  trade  relations  with  the  Flathead 
Indians  of  that  country.  He  returned  to  Fort  Kootenay  by  another 
route,  descended  the  Columbia  to  Blackberry  River,  and  recrossed 
the  mountains  by  Howe's  Pass.  His  party  had  collected  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  furs,  which  they  brought  to  Rainy  Lake  House, 
which  they  reached  August  2nd.  His  party  and  himself  suffered 
much  hardship  on  the  expedition. 

KICKING  HORSE  PASS. — Mr.  Thompson  again  started  west  on 
August  4th,  and  arrived  at  the  Columbia  River,  October  3rd  ;  this 
time  probably  by  Kicking  Horse  Pass,  now  used  by  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Railway,  as  in  his  notes  he  mentions  that  rapid  river  as 
flowing  westward.  He  went  as  far  as  Kootenay  and  made  explorations 
in  that  region,  and  collected  furs  which  his  party  brought  east  with 
them.  There  is  some  confusion  of  dates  in  Mr.  Thompson's  account 
about  this  time,  but  it  appears  that,  late  in  the  autumn  of  1810,  he 
ascended  Athabasca  River  to  its  source,  and  crossed  the  mountains  by 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Athabasca  Pass  to  the  Columbia,  where  he 
arrived  early  in  January,  1811.  He  spent  the  remainder  of  the  winter 
at  the  mouth  of  Canoe  River,  at  the  Big  Bend  of  the  Columbia,  and 
early  in  the  spring  left  for  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  but  he  did  not 
follow  the  stream  with  the  current  as  was  the  general  method,  but 
ascended  the  river  to  its  source,  crossed  McGillivray  portage  and 
descended  Kootenay  River,  thence  by  Pend  d' Oreille  and  Spokane 
Rivers.  On  June  19th  he  reached  the  falls  of  the  Columbia  at  the 
point  where  Fort  Colville  was  subsequently  erected,  and  thence 
followed  the  main  river  to  the  Pacific  coast,  where  he  arrived  on 
July  15th. 

THE  PACIFIC  FUR  COMPANY. — Mr.  Thompson  was  kindly  received 
by  the  officers  of  the  Pacific  Fur-  Company,  who  had  arrived  a  few 
weeks  earlier,  and  were  then  establishing  Fort  Astoria.  He  remained 
a  few  days,  and  returned  as  he  came  to  Fort  Colville,  thence  by 
Arrow  Lakes  and  the  Columbia  to  the  mouth  of  Canoe  River,  the 
point  whence  he  had  started  a  few  months  previously.  It  is  probable 
that  before  he  returned  east  he  proceeded  to  the  Thompson  River, 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  97 

located  Fort   Kamloops,  and  defined  the  future   route   to  and  from 
Athabasca  through  New  Caledonia. 

DEPENDENT  ON  INDIANS  FOR  FOOD.  —  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Fraser's 
colleagues  were  actively  engaged  in  extending  the  trade  of  the  Com- 
pany in  the  interior.  It  was  demonstrated  by  Mr.  Fraser  that  a 
portion  of  Fraser  River  was  impracticable  for  navigation  and  could 
not  be  used.  This  will  readily  be  conceded  by  modern  travellers  on 
the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  as  they  are  carried  comfortably  in  the 
train  which  runs  along  the  Fraser  from  the  confluence  of  the  Thomp- 
son, and  as  they  look  with  astonishment  and  awe  on  the  frowning 
precipices  along  which  Mr.  Fraser  and  his  party  made  their  toilsome 
and  dangerous  way.  That  journey  throughout  had  required  the 
greatest  nerve  and  courage.  The  travellers  on  the  lower  section  of 
the  route  were  dependent  on  the  Indians  for  food,  which  consisted  of 
dried  fish,  berries  and  roots.  Except  on  the  upper  section  of  the 
interior  previously  visited  by  Mackenzie,  none  of  the  tribes  on  the 
route  had  ever  before  seen  the  face  of  a  white  man.  Great  caution 
and  prudence  were  required  to  avoid  awakening  the  enmity  of  the 
natives. 

SIMON  FRASER'S  RETIREMENT. — Mr.  Fraser  remained  in  the  service 
of  the  Company  for  some  years  after  the  exploration  of  the  river  which 
has  been  named  in  his  honor.  After  his  retirement  from  the  position 
which  he  occupied  he  was  offered  a  knighthood,  but  declined  the  title 
on  account  of  his  limited  wealth.  He  died  at  St.  Andrews,  near 
Montreal,  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine.  Mr.  Sandford  Fleming, 
in  a  paper  read  before  the  Royal  Society  of  Canada,  8th  May,  1889, 
states  that  Mr.  Fraser  died  poor,  leaving  no  provision  for  his  family, 
three  of  whom  survive  him,  viz.,  his  daughter,  Catherine  Harriet 
Fraser,  who  resides  in  Cornwall,  Province  of  Ontario,  and  her  two 
brothers — William,  who  lives  in  Hamilton,  Ont.,  and  Roderick,  in  St. 
Andrews,  county  of  Stormont. 

SANDFORD  FLEMING'S  REFERENCE  TO  DAVID  THOMPSON. — In  the 
same  interesting  paper,  Mr.  Fleming,  referring  to  Mr.  David 
Thompson,  says  that,  in  1799,  he  married  Charlotte  Small,  aged 
fifteen.  He  lived  to  be  eighty-seven,  dying  at  Longueuil,  opposite 
Montreal,  in  extreme  poverty.  His  widow  followed  him  to  the 
grave  in  a  few  weeks.  Bancroft  says  of  David  Thompson  :  "  No 
man  performed  more  valuable  services  or  estimated  his  achievements 
more  modestly."  He  was  well  educated,  and  his  meteorological  and 
astronomical  observations  to  this  day  command  respect.  Three  of  his 


98  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

daughters  survive :  Mrs.  G.  E.  Shaw,  of  Peterborough,  Ontario ;  Mrs. 
R.  Scott,  Evansville,  Indiana,  and  Miss  Thompson,  Ivanhoe,  Ohio. 

BANCROFT'S  OPINION. — The  North- West  Company  had  thus  obtained 
a  footing  in  New  Caledonia,  and,  through  their  enterprising  leaders 
and  explorers,  were  in  a  position  to  increase  their  trade.  Bancroft 
speaking  of  them  pays  them  the  following  high  compliment :  "Of  all 
associations  formed  at  any  time  or  place  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
the  skins  of  fur-bearing  animals,  the  North- West  Company,  of 
Montreal,  was  the  most  daring,  dashing,  audacious  and  ultimately 
successful.  It  energy  was  only  surpassed  by  the  apathy  of  its  great 
chartered  rival  which  had  been  in  existence  113  years.  Canada  had 
been  twenty  years  in  British  possession  when  it  was  organized, 
without  assistance,  privileges,  or  government  favors,  by  a  few  Scotch 
•Canadians  for  the  better  prosecution  of  a  business  with  which  they 
were  all  more  or  less  familiar." 

SCOTTISH  SHREWDNESS  AND  ENERGY. — "  Infusing  into  their  traffic 
the  spirit  of  adventure  and  enterprise,  these  associates  pushed  the 
fur  trade  beyond  Lake  Superior  to 'Winnipeg,  Saskatchewan  and 
Athabasca,  and  finally  overspread  the  then  new  North- West.  It  was 
they  who  found  the  River  Mackenzie  and  followed  it  to  the  Frozen 
Ocean ;  it  was  they  who  ascended  Peace  River,  crossed  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  planted  posts  upon  their  western  slopes,  and  traversed 
the  country  to  the  Pacific ;  it  was  they  who^  by  their  Scotch  shrewd- 
ness and  resistless  energy,  after  absorbing  the  Canada  trade  took 
possession  of  the  north-west  coast,  swept  Astor  from  the  Columbia 
and  brought  the  monster  monopoly  itself  upon  its  knees.5' 

FORMATION  OF  THE  COMPANY. — The  Company  was  formed  in  the 
winter  of  1783-4,  by  the  larger  part  of  the  wealthiest  and  most 
influential  of  the  merchants  of  Montreal.  The  number  of  shares 
originally  was  sixteen.  Among  the  partners  were  Simon  McTavish, 
Benjamin  and  Joseph  Frobisher,  MacGillivray,  Recheblave,  Fraser 
•and  others.  Messrs.  Pond,  Pangman,  Gregory,  McLeod  and  the 
afterwards  famous  Alexander  Mackenzie  were  admitted  to  the 
partnership  in  1787,  and  the  number  of  shares  was  increased  to 
twenty.  The  company  then  included  the  best  mercantile  men  in  the 
country — the  choicest  of  Canadian  ""fur-traders.  The  partners  were 
not  required  to  pay  any  money  into  the  concern,  but  every  partner 
must  be  a  strong  man  in  some  one  particular  branch  of  the  business. 

PLAN  OF  OPERATIONS. — It  was  worked  in  this  way  :  The  two 
wealthiest  commercial  establishments  in  Montreal  were  those  of  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  99 

Messrs.  Frobishers  and  Simon  McTavish.  These  two  distinct  houses, 
while  continuing  their  regular  business,  acted  conjointly  as  agents  of 
the  North-West  Company  in  Montreal.  They  were  to  supply  the 
necessary  capital  for  conducting  the  business,  and  were  to  receive 
interest  on  the  money  actually  used  in  the  Company's  transactions. 
They  were  to  obtain  supplies  from  England,  have  the  goods  on  hand 
in  Montreal,  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  trade,  and  packed 
and  shipped  to  the  Grand  Portage,  on  the  north  of  Lake  Superior, 
where  the  French-Canadians  formerly  had  a  rendezvous,  and  where  the 
North-West  Company  then  made  their  headquarters ;  bringing  there 
every  spring  the  furs  collected  and  sending  thence  fresh  supplies  for 
the  interior.  To  this  rendezvous  two  of  the  Montreal  agents  pro- 
ceeded every  year  to  attend  to  the  transfer  business,  for  which  service 
the  Montreal  partners  received  a  commission  in  addition  to  dividends 
on  their  shares. 

WINTERING  PARTNERS. — The  other  proprietors  were  to  spend  their 
time  in  the  Indian  country,  managing  the  business  with  the  assistance 
of  clerks,  remaining  during  the  winter  in  the  fur-trading  districts,  and 
were  termed  "wintering  partners."  They  were  not  obliged  to  furnish 
capital,  but  ability  and  energy  ;  and  even  then  such  was  the  skill  and 
influence  of  some  of  them  that  they  held  two  shares,  with  one  of  which 
they  might  at  any  time  retire  from  active  service,  each  naming  a  clerk 
as  his  successor,  who  was  entitled  to  the  other  share.  It  was  a  perfect 
system — an  admirable  combination  of  skill  and  capital — founded  not 
on  speculative  theory  but  on  actual  experience  and  practical  necessity. 

PARTNERSHIP. — It  was  no  easy  matter  to  obtain  admission  into 
this  partnership.  It  could  only  be  accomplished  by  long  and  arduous 
service  ;  money  was  no  object,  ability  was  everything.  It  was  what 
the  candidate  could  perform,  not  his  relationship  which  secured  him 
the  position.  Clerks  succeeded  to  partnership  after  a  five  or  seven 
years'  apprenticeship,  receiving  one  hundred  pounds  sterling  for  the 
term,  according  to  priority  and  merit.  If,  at  the  expiration  of  their 
apprenticeship,  there  was  no  immediate  vacancy  in  the  partnership, 
a  salary  of  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  pounds  per  annum, 
was  allowed  according  to  merit,  until  they  could  take  their  place 
as  partners. 

INTERPRETERS  RECEIVE  EXTRA  PAY.  —  Apprentices,  during  their 
initiation  term  sometimes  added  to  their  duties  the  office  of  inter- 
preter, receiving  extra  pay  therefor.  Shares  could  only  be  sold  to 
servants  of  the  Company,  whose  admission  as  partners  was  secured 


100  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

by  vote ;  the  seller  of  a  share  received  only  its  value  based  upon 
actual  earning  irrespective  of  probable  dividends.  This  held  out 
to  meritorious  young  men,  who  had  served  a  five  or  seven  years' 
apprenticeship,  the  prospect  of  some  day  obtaining  shares  without 
the  payment  of  a  premium ;  and  if  worthy,  they  were  seldom  disap- 
pointed. Each  share  was  entitled  to  a  vote,  and  a  two-thirds  vote 
was  necessary  to  the  carrying  of  a  measure.  Thus,  by  a  liberal  and 
intelligent  policy  interest  was  aroused  and  emulation  sustained,  and 
the  affairs  of  the  Company  were  no  less  wisely  ordered  than  efficiently 
executed. 

GREAT  SUCCESS  IN  1788. —  From  such  a  complete  organization, 
signal  success  was  obtained.  In  1788,  the  gross  return  of  the  trade 
was  .£40,000.  It  reached  three  times  that  amount  in  eleven  years. 
The  partnership  having  in  1790  expired  through  lapse  of  time,  was 
renewed.  Some  of  the  former  partners  retired  ;  others  were  admitted, 
and  the  shares  were  increased  to  the  number  of  forty-six.  A  new 
firm  was  formed  by  the  retired  partners  and  others,  who  built  a 
new  fort,  and  styled  themselves  the  X.  Y.  Company.  So,  for  a  time, 
there  was  an  additional  powerful  company  in  the  field  ;  but  in  1805, 
yielding  to  the  dictates  of  interest,  the  two  companies  united.  The 
new  fort  was  named  Fort  William,  after  William  MacGillivray  who 
originated  the  measure,  which  first  in  the  North- West  Company  and 
later  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  made  every  efficient  clerk  in  due 
time  partner  or  shareholder.  The  demolition  of  the  old  fort  and  the 
building  of  the  new  was  in  consequence  of  the  boundary  line  between 
the  United  States  and  Canada  having  been  determined,  the  old  fort 
having  been  found  to  be  on  United  States  ground.  The  Company, 
therefore,  built  the  new  fort  forty-five  miles  to  the  northward,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Katninistiqua  River,  flowing  into  Thunder  Bay,  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Superior. 

THE  X.  Y.  COMPANY. — The  routine  of  the  Company's  business  was 
as  follows  :  In  October  of  each  year  the  agents  at  Montreal  ordered 
goods  from  London,  which  were  shipped  the  following  spring  and 
reached  Canada  in  the  summer.  Those  goods  consisted  of  coarse 
woollen  and  cotton  cloths,  calicoes,  blankets,  silk  and  cotton  hand- 
kerchiefs, hats,  hose  and  shoes,  thread  and  twine,  brass  kettles,  cutlery 
and  other  hardware,  arms  and  ammunition.  Tobacco,  liquors  and 
provisions  were  obtained  in  Canada.  No  money  was  directly  em- 
ployed in  the  purchase  of  furs  from  the  natives  :  Indians  scarcely 
ever  knew  what  money  was. 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  101 

SHIPPED  TO  LONDON. — Next  winter  the  cloth  was  made  into  such 
articles  as  suited  the  trade  with  the  natives.  The  stock  required 
was  then  put  into  packages  of  ninety  pounds  each,  and  sent  from 
Montreal  the  following  May,  reaching  the  wilderness  market  the 
winter  following — two  years  from  the  date  of  ordering.  Goods  for 
the  trading-posts  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  were 
still  longer  in  reaching  their  market.  Goods  were  frequently  kept 
over  a  year  or  two  at  the  interior  forts,  and  thus  furs  did  not  reach 
Montreal  until  the  autumn  following  the  winter  of  their  purchase. 
Then  they  were  shipped  for  the  most  part  to  London  and  sold  ;  but 
payment  was  not  received  until  the  succeeding  spring  and  summer, 
three  years  at  least  from  the  shipment  from  England  of  the  goods 
with  which  they  were  purchased,  and  sometimes  four  or  five  years. 

LONG  CREDIT  GIVEN.— Allowing  the  Montreal  agents  twelve  months' 
credit  in  London,  they  were  still  obliged  to  carry  for  two  years  the 
outlay  for  the  goods  and  the  expenses  attending  their  sale.  Those 
expenses  were  about  equivalent  to  the  first  cost  of  the  goods.  So 
that  when  the  traffic  was  £80,000.  or  £120,000  per  annum,  the 
amount  required  to  be  carried,  especially  for  those  times,  was  enor- 
mous ;  and  although  profits  were  large,  expenses,  risk  and  wages  were 
also  large.  At  first  the  goods  for  New  Caledonia  and  Astoria  were 
transported  in  boats,  on  men's  backs  and  on  horseback,  at  immense 
cost  and  labor.  Later  they  were  shipped  round  Cape  Horn  and 
brought  up  the  Columbia  and  Fraser  Rivers. 

FOUNDERS  OF  THE  FUR  TRADE. — Such  were  the  enterprising, 
energetic  and  able  men  who  first  introduced  trade  and  civilization  into 
New  Caledonia, : and  such  was  the  admirable  and  complete  system 
which  enabled  them  to  control  the  natives  and  deal  with  them  so 
successfully.  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie,  Simon  Fraser  and  David 
Thompson  had  discovered  the  routes.  The  Columbia  River  route, 
although  lengthy  and  difficult,  was  adopted  as  the  best  connecting 
with  the  great  emporium,  Montreal.  In  1813,  they  had  extended 
their  operations  to  Astoria,  and  purchased  that  trading-port  on  the 
Pacific,  thus  occupying  the  whole  region  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, including  the  trade  which  belonged  to  the  tributaries  of  the 
Columbia  from  the  Flathead  country,  which  extended  to  near  the 
head  waters  of  the  Missouri  River.  That  river  had  been  previously 
surveyed  by  David  Thompson  in  defining  the  boundary  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  and  which  necessitated  the  removal  of  the 
fort  at  Lake  Superior  to  Fort  William,  as  already  referred  to.  The 


102  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

writer  of  this  visited  one  of  their  forts  at  Fort  Benton,  in  1883.  It 
was  substantially  built  of  adobe,  and  had  it  been  kept  in  repair,  could 
have  been  occupied  to  the  present  time.  So  it  thus  appears  that  the 
North-West  Company  was  in  possession  of  the  whole  of  the  northern 
portion  of  the  Continent,  with  the  exception  of  that  occupied  by  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Norway  House, 
and  the  strip  on  the  extreme  north-west  coast  where  the  operations 
of  the  Russian  Fur  Company  were  carried  on. 

BUSINESS  IN  1798. — The  following  statement  of  the  North  West 
Company's  business  for  1798,  gives  106,000  beaver;  2,100  bear; 
5,500  fox  ;  4,600  otter  ;  17,000  musquash  ;  32  marten  ;  1,800  mink  : 
600  lynx;  600  wolverine;  1,650  fisher;  100  racoon;  3,800  wolf; 
700  elk  ;  1,950  deer  ;  and  500  buffalo  skins.  In  the  foregoing  list 
there  was  only  a  very  small  quantity  from  New  Caledonia.  The 
employes  of  the  Company  were:  50  clerks,  1,120  canoe-men,  and  35 
guides.  Of  these,  350  boatmen,  18  guides  and  5  clerks  were  employed 
between  Montreal  and  Fort  William. 

GUIDES,  EQUIPMENTS,  ETC. — 'As  compensation  for  the  trip,  the 
guides  received,  besides  expenses  and  the  privilege  of  trading  on  their 
own  account,  $160  and  their  equipment;  foremen  and  steersmen, 
$90  ;  middlemen,  $70,  and  a  shirt,  trousers  and  blanket.  Those  who 
wintered  at  the  upper  end  of  the  route  received  double  pay.  All 
other  employes  were  engaged  by  the  year  or  a  term  of  years.  A 
first-class  equipment  consisted  of  fourteen  pounds  of  tobacco,  two 
blankets,  two  shirts,  two  pairs  of  trousers,  two  handkerchiefs,  and 
some  trinkets  for  trading;  second  class,  ten  pounds  of  tobacco  and 
other  articles ;  third  class,  half  the  quantity  of  second  class.  To  the- 
north-men,  as  the  employes  who  wintered  in  the  forest  were  called, 
were  attached  more  than  seven  hundred  native  women  and  children, 
victualled  at  the  Company's  expense.  During  the  height  of  their 
power,  two  thousand  voyagers  were  employed  at  an  average  wage  of 
$200  per  annum.  The  gross  annual  return  of  the  trade  at  that  time 
was  about  $750,000.  A  writer  (Umfreville)  asserts,  "  that  while  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  through  false  economy,  endeavored  to  make 
boatmen  of  the  Indians,  and  ground  their  servants  down  to  £15  per 
annum,  the  Canada  merchants  paid  theirs  £40.  Yet  the  former 
stigmatized  the  latter  as  pedlers,  thieves  and  interlopers,  because 
they  went  where  trade  was,  instead  of  waiting  for  it  to  come  to  them." 

BRIGADES— How  FITTED  OUT. — It  may  be  interesting  at  the 
present  time  to  learn  how  those  brigades  were  fitted  out.  The  start 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  103 

was  made  from  Lachine,  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  eight  miles  above 
Montreal,  in  the  month  of  May,  when  the  lakes  and  rivers  are  nearly 
free  from  ice.  At  a  cost  of  about  $60  each,  the  requisite  number  of 
canoes  were  provided,  say,  thirty,  in  which  case  the  squadron  was 
divided  into  three  brigades,  each  having  its  guide  or  pilot,  whose 
business  it  was  to  point  out  the  course,  take  charge  of  boats  and 
property,  attend  to  all  repairs,  and  act  as  commander  or  admiral,  to 
whom  the  voyagers  stood  in  the  relation  of  common  sailors. 

FOREMAN  AND  STEERSMAN. — In  each  boat  were  eight  or  ten  men 
with  their  baggage,  six  hundred  pounds  of  biscuit,  two  hundred 
pounds  of  pork,  three  bushels  of  pease — these  as  ship's  stores ;  with 
sixty-five  packages  of  goods  as  freight.  The  equipment  of  the  canoe 
consisted  of  two  oilcloths  with  which  to  cover  the  goods,  a  sail  and 
sailing  tackle,  an  axe,  a  towing  line,  a  kettle  for  cooking  purposes,  a 
sponge  for  bailing,  and  some  gum,  bark  and  waptae  for  repairs.  To 
the  inexperienced  observer  of  these  frail  craft,  thus  crowded  with 
men  and  heaped  with  goods,  three  or  four  tons  in  each,  until  the 
gunwale  was  within  six  inches  of  the  water,  it  seemed  that  destruction 
was  inevitable,  especially  when  winds  and  swift  currents  were  con- 
sidered. But  so  experienced  and  expert  are  these  Canadian  boatmen, 
that  loss  of  life  and  property  was  comparatively  rare,  although 
accidents  were  frequent.  Two  picked  men,  a  foreman  and  a 
steersman,  were  placed,  the  one  in  the  bow  and  the  other  in  the 
stern  of  every  canoe.  Those  who  simply  plied  the  paddle  were  called 
middlemen.  A  sail  was  hoisted  whenever  the  wind  was  favorable. 

SMALLER  CANOES  AND  BOATS  USED  WESTWARD. — Above  Fort 
William  and  the  Grand  Portage,  the  boats  used  were  only  about  half 
the  size  of  those  used  from  the  east,  and  were  managed  by  four,  five 
or  six  men.  They  carried  about  thirty-five  packages,  twenty-three  of 
which  were  for  purposes  of  trade,  and  the  remainder  for  luggage  or 
stores.  Ninety-pound  packages,  from  long  experience,  were  proved 
to  be  the  most  convenient  weight.  The  usual  load  for  one  man  was 
two  packages,  but  if  the  way  was  exceedingly  rugged,  one  sufficed, 
although  an  ambitious  boatman  would  sometimes  carry  three.  These 
were  slung  upon  the  back,  and  there  supported  by  a  strap  placed 
across  the  forehead.  The  cargoes  were  thus  carried  to  some  point 
above  the  fall  or  rapid,  to  which  the  canoes  were  towed  by  a  strong 
line  or  carried  on  the  men's  shoulders.  The  carrying-place  or 
*'  portage "  passed,  the  boats  were  again  loaded  and  the  party 
proceeded.  So  methodical  and  expert  did  these  boatmen  become  by 


104  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

practice,  that  a  portage  was  made  in  an  incredibly  short  time,  from 
twelve  to  twenty  being  frequently  passed  in  a  single  day.  The 
length  of  the  portage  varied  greatly,  extending  from  sixty  yards  to  six 
miles,  or  even  twice  or  thrice  that  distance.  Round  a  perpendicular 
fall  the  way  was  usually  not  far.  In  crossing  from  one  stream  to 
another  the  carrying-places  were  longest. 

THE  EARLY  TRADERS  DESERVE  CREDIT. — Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie, 
in  his  journal,  says  :  "  The  tract  of  a  transport  occupies  an  extent  of 
from  three  to  four  thousand  miles,  through  upwards  of  sixty  large 
lakes  and  numerous  rivers,  and  the  means  of  transport  on  slight  bark 
canoes.  It  must  also  be  observed  that  these  waters  are  intercepted 
by  more  than  two  hundred  rapids,  along  which  the  articles  of 
merchandise  are  chiefly  carried  on  men's  backs,  and  over  one  hundred 
and  thirty  carrying-places,  from  twenty-five  paces  to  thirteen  miles 
in  length,  where  the  canoes  and  cargoes  proceeded  by  the  same 
toilsome  .  and  perilous  operation."  Contrast  this,  then  the  only 
available  and  best  method  of  transit  of  goods  and  travel  less  than 
one  hundred  years  ago,  with  the  present  railway  and  steamboat 
accommodation,  and  the  changes  which  are  found  to  have  taken 
place  are  marvellous.  When  the  distance  from  Athabasca  Pass  to 
Astoria  is  added,  with  its  accompanying  difficulties,  it  will  readily 
be  conceded  that  those  early  traders  deserve  more  credit  than  is 
generally  awarded  to  them. 

COLUMBIA  RIVER  BOATS. — The  birch  bark  canoe  was  not  the  kind 
generally  used  in  New  Caledonia.  A  boat  specially  for  the  trade  of 
the  Columbia  River,  was  made  at  Okanagan.  It  was  modelled  after 
a  whale-boat,  and  clinker  built,  with  all  the  timbers  flat,  and  so  light 
that  it  could  be  easily  carried.  In  the  construction,  pine  gum  was 
used  instead  of  pitch.  It  was  a  bateau,  thirty-two  feet  long,  six  and 
a  half  feet  amidships,  made  of  thin  pine  boards,  both  ends  sharp, 
without  keel,  and  propelled  either  with  oars  or  paddles.  Between 
points  of  communication,  after  leaving  the  Columbia  and  some  of  the 
northern  trading-posts  to  Athabasca,  it  was  not  uncommon  in  some 
of  the  passes  of  New  Caledonia  to  see  a  train  of  two  hundred  horses, 
each  laden  with  two  packages  of  furs,  winding  with  the  narrow  trail 
round  cliffs  and  through  passes,  on  their  way  to  canoe  navigation. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  105 


CHAPTEE  XI. 


OPERATIONS  ON  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

ALEXANDER  HENRY. — A  fur  trader  of  some  note,  Alexander  Henry, 
is  connected  with  the  history  of  this  period  at  Astoria  (Fort  George). 
He  was  present  there  when  Captain  William  Black  and  officers  of 
the  war-sloop  Racoon  landed  in  1813  and  took  possession  of  the 
country  in  the  name  of  his  Britannic  Majesty.  This  had  now 
become  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  a  large  number  of  fur  traders, 
who,  since  the  treacherous  and  most  barbarous  massacre  of  the  crew 
of  the  Boston  by  Maquinna,  had  avoided  N"ootka.  Mr.  Henry  first 
left  Montreal  in  1799.  For  ten  years  or  so  he  was  engaged  in  the 
Red  River  and  Saskatchewan  Districts,  going  south  of  Pembina  to 
Fort  Abercrornby,  and  also  visited  the  forts  on  the  Missouri.  From 
1811  to  his  death  in  1814,  his  mission  was  in  New  Caledonia.  He 
was  drowned  during  a  heavy  storm  whilst  crossing  the  river."  In  the 
boat  were  Mr.  Henry  and  Mr.  Donald  MacTavish,  two  partners  of 
long  standing  and  high  reputation  in  the  North- West  Company's 
service,  and  six  men.  All  hands  perished  by  the  swamping  of  the 
boat,  with  the  exception  of  one  man,  John  Little,  who  swam  to  shore. 
The  accident  took  place  in  broad  daylight,  opposite  the  fort,  but  was 
not  perceived  or  known  for  some  hours  after,  until  the  man  who  was 
saved  arrived  at  the  fort  and  communicated  the  sad  news. 

Ross  Cox. — The  second  ship  sent  from  New  York  by  the  Pacific 
Fur  Company,  the  Beaver,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  on 
May  9th,  1812.  Among  the  passengers  was  Mr.  Ross  Cox,  who, 
having  obtained  a  clerkship  in  the  service  of  the  Company,  had 
proceeded  to  Astoria  to  assume  his  duties.  In  a  narrative  which  he 
published,  he  describes  his  adventures  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  his 
journey  overland  to  Montreal.  In  this  publication  he  refers  to  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  David  Thompson,  on  July  15th,  1811,  in  a  canoe  with 
nine  men.  Mr.  Cox,  during  the  summer  of  1812,  left  for  the  interior 
to  trade  with  the  Spokane  Indians.  The  following  year  he  returned 
to  Astoria,  to  find  a  complete  revolution.  The  Pacific  Fur  Company 
had  met  with  a  series  of  misfortunes,  in  the  loss  of  the  Tonqmn  and 


106  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

otherwise.  Mr.  John  George  MacTavish  and  Joseph  La  Rocque,  with 
sixteen  men  of  the  North- West  Company,  had  arrived  and  entered 
into  an  agreement  to  purchase  all  the  eflects  of  the  Pacific  Fur 
Company  at  a  valuation,  and  to  give  such  of  the  Company's  servants 
as  desired  to  return,  a  free  passage  home  by  Cape  Horn  or  overland. 

FLATHEAD  INDIANS. — Mr.  Cox  was  one  of  those  who  joined  the 
new  administration.  He  left  Astoria,  October  ^8th,  to  spend  the 
winter  in  trading  with  the  Flathead  Indians  in  the  interior.  The 
following  year  he  returned  to  headquarters,  by  that  time  named  Fort 
George,  where  he  remained  two  months.  On  August  4th  he  left  for 
Spokane  House.  Between  1815  and  1817  he  was  in  charge  at  Fort 
Okanagan,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  latter  year  he  was  again  at  Fort 
George,  whence  he  took  his  departure  on  April  16th,  with  a  party 
consisting  of  eighty-six  men  who  embarked  in  two  barges  and  nine 
canoes. 

THE  NEW  ADMINISTRATION. — The  brigade  ascended  the  Columbia 
to  Canoe  River,  and  thence  crossed  the  mountains  by  the  usual  route 
by  Lesser  Slave  Lake,  He  a  la  Crosse,  to  Cumberland  House.  They 
descended  the  Saskatchewan,  passed  across  Lake  Winnipeg,  Lake  of 
the  Woods  and  Rainy  Lake,  and  arrived  at  Fort  William  on 
August  16th.  At  that  date  Captain  Miles  Macdonrtell,  formerly  ot 
the  Queen's  Rangers,  then  connected  with  the  expedition  of  Lord 
Selkirk,  and  others  were  at  the  fort.  There  was  encamped  a  motley 
gathering  of  voyageurs,  soldiers,  Indians  and  half-breeds.  Besides 
natives  of  Canada  and  the  United  States,  Mr.  Cox  states  he  saw  men 
from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  two  negroes,  and  an  East  Indian  from 
Bengal.  Proceeding  by  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  French  River  and  the 
Ottawa,  Mr.  Cox  reached  Montreal,  September  19th,  five  months  and 
three  days  from  the  date  of  leaving  the  Pacific  coast. 

ALEXANDER  Ross. — Another  of  the  pioneers  of  New  Caledonia  was 
Mr.  Alexander  Ross.  He  was  one  of  the  twenty -eight  Canadians 
who  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  in  1811,  in  the  ill-fated 
Tonquin.  Mr.  Ross  relates  his  adventures  during  the  fifteen  years 
he  remained  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  published  in  1849  and  1855  a 
narrative  of  his  expedition  across  the  Continent.  When  in  Upper 
Canada  he  was  invited  by  Mr.  Alexander  Mackay,  the  senior  partner, 
to  join  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  then  being  organized  by  Mr.  Astor. 
He  proceeded  with  several  Canadians  to  New  York,  and  there 
embarked  for  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  The  Company  comprised 
thirty-three  persons,  all  but  three  of  whom  were  British  subjects. 


THE   FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  107 

Mr.  Ross  was  present  when  Astoria  was  established,  and  when  David 
Thompson,  of  the  North-West  Company,  arrived  there  a  few  weeks 
later.  He  describes  the  circumstances  which  led  during  the  follow- 
ing summer  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  and  the 
transfer  of  the  stores,  merchandise  and  buildings  to  the  North- West 
Company.  Mr.  Ross  entered  the  service  of  the  latter  company,  and 
proceeded  to  discharge  the  duties  assigned  him  in  the  interior.  He 
spent  the  following  twelve  years  trading  with  the  Indian  tribes, 
amongst  whom  he  had  many  adventures,  and  not  a  few  hair-breadth 
escapes. 

GABRIEL  FRANCHERE. — Mr.  Gabriel  Franchere,  another  of  the 
passengers  of  the  Tonquin,  who  fortunately  remained  at  Astoria, 
relates  his  experience  in  a  narrative  published  by  him  on  his  return. 
His  statement  agrees  with  that  of  Mr.  Alexander  Ross  as  to  the 
number  of  passengers  being  thirty-three,  thirty  of  whom  were  British 
subjects,  and  of  these  who  had  formerly  been  in  the  North- West 
Company,  including  Alexander  Mackay,  who  had  accompanied  Sir 
Alexander  Mackenzie  on  his  overland  travels.  On  the  12th  of  April, 
a  site  was  selected  for  a  building  in  which  the  business  of  the  com- 
pany could  be  carried  on.  The  establishment  broke  up  in  two  years, 
and  on  October  16th,  1813,  the  Canadian  North- West  Company  pur- 
chased the  effects  and  accepted  the  transfer  of  the  fort.  Some  of 
the  clerks  who  had  been  engaged  by  the  Pacific  Fur  Company  were 
re-engaged  during  the  winter  by  the  new  company.  The  others 
returned  to  Canada,  among  whom  was  Gabriel  Franchere  who  started 
overland  the  spring  following.  He  left  Fort  George  on  April  4th,  1814, 
in  company  with  some  of  his  companions,  who  had  doubled  Cape  Horn 
three  years  earlier,  and  who  were  deprived  of  employment  by  the 
turn  of  affairs  on  the  Columbia.  They  embarked  as  passengers  with 
a  North- West  Company  brigade,  consisting  of  ten  canoes,  each  with 
a  crew  of  seven  men,  in  all  ninety  persons,  some  of  whom  were  going 
to  posts  in  the  interior.  They  were  all  well  armed  to  protect  them- 
selves against  the  hostile  tribes  of  Indians  along  the  river.  They 
ascended  the  Columbia  to  the  Great  Bend,  which  they  reached  on 
May  4th.  Making  their  way  across  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
reached  the  upper  waters  of  Athabasca  River,  which  they  followed  to 
Little  Slave  Lake.  Their  route  from  this  point  carried  them  to  Fort 
Cumberland,  Lake  Winnipeg  and  Fort  William,  where  they  arrived 
on  July  14th.  Mr.  Franchere  reached  his  home  in  Montreal  on  the 
1st  of  September. 


108  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

THE  WAR-SLOOP  "  RACOON." — The  war  which  broke  out  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  in  1812  naturally  affected 
Canada,  and  was  felt  in  the  far  west  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  visit 
of  the  war-sloop  Racoon,  with  twenty-six  guns,  to  the  Columbia  River, 
was  with  the  intention  of  capturing  Fort  Astoria,  or  of  seizing  any 
vessels  which  might  be  there  belonging  to  the  United  States.  For- 
tunately for  them  they  were  all  absent,  and  Astoria  had  recently  been 
transferred  to  the  North-West  Company,  which  was  British.  Trading 
vessels  belonging  to  the  United  States  had  been  warned  by  their 
Government  to  remain  in  neutral  ports  if  they  wished  to  avoid  seizure. 
This  had  the  effect  of  stopping,  for  the  time  being,  the  sea-otter  fur 
trade,  as  Boston  and  other  east-coast  vessels  were  the  most  numerous 
and  persistent  in  following  up  that  trade  which  had  already  been 
well-nigh  ruined  on  the  Vancouver  and  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  by  the 
reckless  manner  in  which  they  supplied  the  natives  with  intoxicating 
liquor,  demoralizing  them  and  increasing  their  improvidence. 

CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812. — It  will  afford  information  to  many 
to  state  the  cause  of  the  war  of  1812,  referred  to.  This  may  be 
briefly  explained  by  mentioning  that,  in  1793,  Britain  began  a  war 
with  France,  which,  with  a  short  interval  in  1802-3,  had  been  con- 
tinued against  the  power  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  as  general  and 
emperor.  When  Napoleon  had  conquered  nearly  all  Europe,  he 
issued  a  decree  from  Berlin,  to  the  effect  that  British  goods  should 
not  be  bought  or  sold  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  that  other 
nations  should  nob  trade  with  Britain.  ''England,  who  had  for 
many  years  been  mistress  of  the  sea,  retaliated  and  issued  an  "  Order- 
in-Council "  forbidding  all  neutral  nations  to  trade  with  France,  and 
threatening  these  vessels  with  seizure  if  they  did  not  call  at  English 
ports."  Under  these  restrictions,  United  States  vessels  could  not 
trade  with  either  France  or  Britain  without  being  liable  to  seizure. 
Britain,  also  anxious  to  secure  men  for  her  navy,  stopped  United 
States  vessels  on  the  open  seas,  and  searched  them  for  runaway 
sailors  and  British  subjects.  This  was  looked  upon  by  the  United 
States  Government  as  a  pretext  to  take  United  States  sailors  to  man 
British  warships. 

THE  YOKE  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN. — The  Democratic  party  then  in 
power,  which,  since  the  Revolution,  had  been  hostile  to  Great  Britain 
and  friendly  to  France,  declared  war  in  June,  1812.  General  Hull 
crossed  the  river  from  Detroit  to  Canada  and  issued  a  proclamation 
inviting  Canadians  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Great  Britain.  The 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  109 

invitation  was  not  accepted.  The  attack  was  made  along  the  frontier 
at  principal  points  from  Detroit  to  Quebec.  The  struggle  between 
the  two  countries  was  carried  on  with  varying  success  and  great  loss 
of  life  on  both  sides,  until  the  battle  of  Lundy's  Lane  was  fought, 
July  25th,  1814,  between  three  thousand  Canadian  and  four  thousand 
United  States  troops.  The  battle  raged  from  five  o'clock  a.m.  until 
midnight.  A  Canadian  historian  writes  :  "The  utmost  stubbornness 
and  courage  were  shown  by  both  armies  in  the  fierce  struggle  for  the 
British  guns.  General  Riall  was  taken  prisoner,  and  Scott,  Brown 
and  Porter,  three  United  States  generals,  were  wounded.  At  last, 
worn  out  in  vain  effort  to  force  the  British  position,  the  United 
States  troops  retreated,  leaving  their  dead  to  be  burned  by  the 
victors,  for  the  number  of  slain  was  so  great  that  burial  was  impos- 
sible. The  loss  to  the  enemy  was  nearly  nine  hundred,  to  the  British 
about  the  same  number." 

AN  OLD  STATUTE  IN  FORCE. — In  a  newspaper  despatch  from 
Washington,  D.C.,  dated  September  12th,  1893,  a  curious  fact  is 
stated  as  having  been  developed  in  connection  with  certain  arrests 
made  in  New  York  the  previous  day,  at  the  request  of  the  Navy 
Department,  of  sailors  charged  with  desertion  from  the  United 
States  cruiser  Chicago,  in  England.  An  effort  was  made  to  secure 
the  arrest  of  the  deserters  while  they  were  in  England,  but  it  was 
ascertained  that  while  the  extradition  law  included  deserters  from 
merchant  vessels,  it  did  not  avail  in  case  of  deserters  from  men-of- 
war,  and  the  Navy  Department  was  compelled  to  keep  the  men  under 
surreptitious  surveillance,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  return  to 
America.  The  inquiry  at  the  State  Department  into  the  extradition 
laws  in  connection  with  deserters,  brought  out  the  fact  that  the 
feeling  over  one  of  the  causes  of  the  war  of  1812,  viz.,  the  seizure  of 
United  States  seamen  for  service  in  the  British  navy,  had  served  to 
prevent,  unto  this  day,  a  diplomatic  arrangement  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  for  the  mutual  apprehension  and 
extradition  of  sailors  from  the  navy  of  one  country,  who  desert  in  the 
possessions  of  the  other  country. 

THE  RIVALRY  WHICH  EXISTED.— After  the  extension  of  the  North- 
West  Company's  trade  to  the  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  of  which 
they  had  a  monopoly,  an  enormous  and  profitable  business  was  carried 
on.  Events,  however,  were  transpiring  in  the  east  which  brought 
about  a  radical  change.  The  rivalry  which  existed  between  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  and  its  energetic  rivals  had  become  so  intensified 


110  HISTOKY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

that  a  skirmish  took  place  between  the  parties,  in  1816,  at  Red 
River,  near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Winnipeg.  Governor 
Sample,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  was  killed  on  that  occasion. 
His  tragic  end  is  described  as  follows  :  "The  amiable  and  mild  Mr. 
Semple,  lying  on  his  side  (his  thigh  was  broken)  and  supporting  his 
head  upon  his  hand,  asked  Mr.  Cuthbert  Grant  to  try  and  get  him  to 
the  fort,  as  he  was  not  mortally  wounded.  The  unfortunate  gentle- 
man was  left  in  charge  of  a  Canadian,  who  afterwards  told  how  an 
Indian  came  up  and  shot  the  governor  through  the  breast.  No 
quarter  was  given  ;  the  knife,  axe,  or  ball  put  a  period  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  wounded.  Out  of  a  band  of  twenty-eight,  twenty-one 
were  killed  and  one  wounded,  but  escaped." 

BROUGHT  BEFORE  THE  BRITISH  PARLIAMENT. — This  lamentable 
state  of  affairs  was  brought  before  the  British  Parliament  in  1819. 
Both  companies  were  suffering  from  the  fierce  competition  which 
existed — they  were  almost  ruined.  One  writer  says  :  "The  interests 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  suffered  so  much  that  between  1800 
and  1821  their  dividends  were  for  the  first  eight  years  reduced  to 
four  per  cent.;  during  the  next  six  years  they  could  pay  no  dividend 
at  all,  and  for  the  remaining  eight  years  they  could  only  pay  four  per 
cent."  Sir  George  Simpson,  in  a  report  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
lamented  the  general  demoralization  of  Indians  and  whites  arising  from 
the  rivalry  between  the  two  companies,  and  said,  "It  was  uncertain 
for  a  long  time  which  of  them  lost  most  money  ;  neither  of  them 
gained  money." 

READY  FOR  RECONCILIATION. — Both  companies  were,  therefore, 
ready  for  reconciliation.  In  1804,  Edward  Ellice,  then  a  partner  in 
the  North- West  Company,  offered  Sir  Richard  Neave,  Governor  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  £103,000  for  the  whole  concern,  that 
being  the  capital  stock  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  at  that  time ; 
but  part  of  the  stock  being  the  property  of  minors,  the  bargain  was 
not  consummated.  As  early  as  1801,  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie 
advocated  a  union  of  the  companies,  and  pointed  out  the  advantages 
which  would  result  from  such  an  arrangement. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  Ill 


CHAPTEE  XII. 


THE  CONFEDERATED  COMPANIES. 

UNION  OF  THE  COMPANIES,  1821. — An  Imperial  Act  was  passed 
2nd  July,  1821,  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  Ellice,  by  which  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  the  new  company  formed  by  the  coalition  of  the 
two  combined  companies,  were  continued  under  the  name  of  THE 
HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY.  The  Act  also  regulated  the  fur  trade,  and 
established  a  criminal  and  civil  jurisdiction  in  certain  parts  of  North 
America.  The  arrangement  under  which  the  companies  were  united 
in  March,  1821,  was  exceedingly  fair  and  acceptable  to  both  parties. 
The  North- West  made  over  its  property  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
and  in  return  the  members  of  the  former  became  partners,  and  its 
servants  were  taken  into  the  employment  of  the  consolidated  company. 
The  territory  east  and  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  not  included  in 
the  old  charter,  was  granted  to  the  new  company,  with  the  exclusive 
right  to  trade  for  twenty -one  years. 

CHARTER  OF  H.  B.  C.,  1670. — The  first  charter  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  was  granted  in  1670  by  King  Charles  II.,  to  his  trusty 
and  well-beloved  cousin,  Prince  Rupert,  and  others,  under  the  name 
of  "  The  Governor  and  Company  of  Adventurers  of  England  trading 
in  Hudson  Bay."  This  famous  and  long-lived  corporation  was 
ostensibly  established  as  mentioned  in  the  charter,  "  for  the  discovery 
of  a  new  passage  into  the  South  Sea,  for  the  finding  some  trade  for 
furs,  minerals  and  other  considerable  commodities,"  and  also  for 
"  Christianizing  the  Indians."  The  charter  granted  the  "  adventurers 
a  monopoly  of  t^ade  with  plenary  powers,  executive  and  judicial,  in 
and  over  all  seas,  straits,  lands,  etc.,  lying  within  the  entrance  of 
Hudson  Straits,  and  the  rivers  entering  them  not  already  occupied  by 
any  other  English  subject  or  other  Christian  power  or  state."  In 
return  they  were  to  yield  and  pay  therefor  two  elks,  and  two  black 
beavers,  whenever  his  Majesty  or  his  heirs  should  set  foot  in  the 
territory. 

THE  FIRST  TWENTY  YEARS.— The  early  operations  of  this  monopoly 
were  confined  to  the  vicinity  of  Hudson  Bay  and  James'  Bay.  As 
will  be  seen  from  the  following,  the  profits  of  the  fur  trade  were 


112  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

enormous  :  "  Daring  the  first  twenty  years  of  its  existence,  the 
profits  of  the  Company  were  so  great  that,  notwithstanding  losses 
sustained  by  the  capture  of  their  establishments  by  the  French, 
amounting  in  value  to  £118,014,  they  were  enabled  to  make  a  pay- 
ment to  the  proprietors,  in  1684,  of  fifty  per  cent,  and  a  further 
payment  in  1689  of  twenty-five  per  cent.  In  1690,  the  stock  was 
trebled  without  any  call  being  made,  besides  affording  a  payment  to 
the  proprietors  of  five  per  cent,  on  the  increased  or  newly  created 
stock.  From  1692  to  1697,  the  Company  incurred  loss  and  damage 
to  the  amount  of  £97,500  from  the  French.  In  1720,  their  circum- 
stances were  so  far  improved,  that  they  again  trebled  their  capital 
stock  with  only  a  call  of  ten  per  cent,  from  the  proprietors,  on  which 
they  paid  dividends  averaging  nine  per  cent.,  for  many  years  showing 
profits  on  the  originally  subscribed  capital  stock,  actually  paid  up,  of 
between  sixty  and  seventy  per  cent,  per  annum  from  the  year  1690 
to  1800." 

NEW  GOVERNOR. — As  has  been  stated,  the  trade  of  both  com- 
panies had  been  greatly  interfered  with  and  rendered  unremunerative 
by  the  bitter  rivalry  which  existed  between 
the  parties.  With  the  union,  however,  there 
was  an  end  to  rivalry  in  trade,  and  to  deeds 
of  rapine  and  violence.  A  new  era  was 
entered  upon  under  the  governorship  of  Mr 
(afterwards  Sir)  George  Simpson,  who  filled 
that  responsible  office  for  nearly  forty  years, 
until  his  death  in  1860.  Born  in  Ross-shire, 
Scotland,  George  Simpson,  while  still  a  youth, 
removed  to  London,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
sm  GEORGE  SIMPSON.  commercial  pursuits  for  nearly  eleven  years. 

The  ability,  shrewdness  and  energy  of  young 

Simpson  had  marked  him  out  for  a  wide  sphere  of  labor,  under  a  far 
distant  sky.  In  1819,  when  the  companies  were  still  battling  furiously, 
Mr.  Simpson  was  invited  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany. Early  in  1820,  therefore,  he  sailed  from  England  for  Montreal 
by  way  of  New  York,  and  in  May  he  was  on  the  road  from  the  Canadian 
city  to  the  North- West.  During  the  winter  of  that  year  he  was 
stationed  at  Athabasca,  where  he  endured  many  hardships  and 
privations,  although  he  managed  to  carry  on  the  rivalry  in  the  fur 
trade  with  evident  tact  and  energy.  The  Ross-shire  lad  of  twelve 
years  before  had  already  made  his  mark,  and  assured  for  himself 
future  fame  and  fortune  ;  and  when  peace  was  at  last  concluded  by 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  113 

amalgamation,  Simpson's  talent  had  indicated  him  as  the  best  man 
to  preside  over  the  vast  operations  of  the  united  company.  After 
serving  a  short  time  as  Governor  of  the  Northern  Department,  he 
received  his  appointment,  and  became  Governor-in-Chief  of  Rupert's 
Land,  and  General  Superintendent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's 
affairs  in  North  America. 

EXPLORATION  AND  GEOGRAPHICAL  DISCOVERIES. — The  responsible 
position  which  Governor  Simpson  so  long  occupied  required  special 
qualifications,  and  these  he  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree.  He  was 
a  man  of  consummate  tact  and  address,  and  at  once  set  about  healing 
up  old  wounds,  reconciling  discordant  interests,  and  removing  old 
prejudices  and  jealousies  from  amongst  the  people  and  former 
employes.  He  was  the  first  Hudson  Bay  governor  who  fulfilled,  on 
behalf  of  the  Company,  that  duty  imposed,  as  a  condition,  by  the 
charter — the  task  of  exploration  and  geographical  discovery.  Although 
as  keenly  alive  to  the  material  interests  of  his  employers  as  the  most 
unreasonable  shareholder  could  expect,  Governor  Simpson  never  lost 
sight  of  the  higher  claims  of  science  on  his  time,  as  well  as  on  his 
energies.  To  his  skilful  direction  and  the  eagerness  with  which  he 
assisted  Franklin,  Richardson,  Ross,  Back  and  other  explorers,  the 
most  valuable  results  were  due.  It  was  he  who  sent  out  Dease, 
Thomas  Simpson,  Rae,  Anderson  and  Stewart  upon  the  path  of 
research,  and  at  every  fort  or  factory  controlled  by  Governor 
Simpson,  any  explorer  was  sure  of  shelter,  supplies,  information 
and  advice.  Also,  during  his  long  tenure  of  office,  the  profits  of  the 
Company  steadily  increased  year  by  year. 

FOUR  DEPARTMENTS. — The  entire  country  north  of  the  Columbia 
and  tributaries,  and  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  was  now  under 
the  control  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  The  territory  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  was  known  commercially  as  the  western  depart- 
ment. The  whole  trading  territory  was  divided  into  four  departments, 
viz.,  Montreal,  the  southern,  the  northern  and  the  western.  There 
were  four  factors  for  each.  In  the  western  department  all  were 
under  the  direction  of  one  man,  who  was  subject  to  the  governor  of 
all  the  departments. 

CLASSIFICATION  OP  OFFICERS. — The  following  classification  of  officers 
and  men  in  the  active  service  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  will  tend 
to  show  how  perfect  and  complete  was  the  organization:  "Apart  from 
the  governor  and  board  of  directors  in  London,  there  was  first  a  local 
governor,  residing  in  Canada,  having  his  headquarters  at  first  at 


114  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Prince  of  Wales  Fort,  afterward  at  York  Factory,  and  later  at  Fort 
Garry  (now  Winnipeg).  This  governor  had  full  jurisdiction  of  all  the 
establishments  of  the  Company.  Second  under  him  there  were  chief 
factors,  who  might  have  charge  of  a  department  or  of  a  factory, 
supplying  the  lesser  forts  of  a  district;  third,  chief  traders,  usually 
in  charge  of  some  single  but  important  post;  fourth,  chief  clerks, 
who  were  sent  with  a  crew  of  voyageurs  on  frequent  expeditions,  or 
placed  in  charge  of  minor  posts ;  fifth,  apprenticed  clerks,  a  kind  of 
-forest  midshipmen,  raw  lads,  fresh  from  school,  full  of  fun,  spiced 
'with  mischief,  who  write,  keep  store,  and  wait  upon  their  seniors ; 
«ixth,  postmasters,  usually  laborers  promoted  for  good  behavior  to 
the  rank  of  gentlemen,  and  often  placed  in  charge  of  a  small  station 
or  outpost;  seventh,  interpreters,  generally  laborers,  with  a  smattering 
of  the  native  dialects  in  their  vicinity ;  eighth,  voyageurs,  or  boatmen; 
•ninth,  laborers,  employed  in  various  ways,  as  in  chopping,  carrying, 
mending,  trapping,  fishing,  rough  carpentering,  blacksmi thing,  or 
boat-building.  The  laborer  could  not  rise  higher  than  postmaster, 
while  the  apprenticed  clerk  might  become  chief  factor,  or  even 
governor.  Five  years  of  intelligent,  faithful  service  entitled  the 
apprentice  to  a  clerkship ;  and  after  from  ten  to  twenty  years  further- 
service,  he  became  chief  trader,  who  was  a  half  shareholder,  and 
in  a  few  years  thereafter,  chief  factor  or  shareholder.  Speaking 
generally,  the  chief  factor  directed  the  affairs  of  the  Company,  and 
the  chief  trader,  acting  under  the  chief  factor,  managed  traffic  with 
the  natives."  The  system  was  the  outcome  of  the  experience  of  both 
^companies  and  was  admirably  executed. 

GROWTH  FROM  1789  TO  1856. — A  glance  at  the  equipment  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  shows  that  in  1789  they  had  only  315  men  in 
their  employ,  which  included  seventy-five  seamen,  who  navigated  two 
ships  and  one  sloop  annually  each  way,  which  constituted  the  ocean 
service.  In  1846,  it  is  stated,  there  were  513  articled  men  and 
fifty -five  officers,  which  with  a  network  of  trading-routes  between 
posts  extending  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  gave  them  not  only 
extraordinary  influence  with  the  natives  and  the  trade  monopoly 
of  the  North- West,  but  the  actual  domination  of  those  regions, — 
religious,  political  and  social.  In  1856,  the  affairs  of  152  establish- 
ments were  managed  by  a  governor,  16  chief  factors,  and  29  chief 
traders,  assisted  by  5  surgeons,  87  clerks,  67  postmasters,  500 
voyageurs,  and  1,200  permanent  servants,  besides  sailors  on  sea-going 
-vessels  and  persons  temporarily  employed — about  three  thousand 
men  in  all. 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  115 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 


THE  NATIVE  TRIBES  AND  CIVILIZATION. 

PRIMITIVE  CONDITION  OF  THE  INDIANS. — Yery  different,  at  the 
present  time,  is  the  position  and  circumstances  of  the  Indians  from 
the  natives  met  by  Captain  Cook  at  Nootka,  or  those  passed  by 
Alexander  Mackenzie  on  his  expedition  to  the  Pacific  coast.  There 
is  a  vast  difference  also  in  their  numbers.  They  were  then  numerous, 
nourishing,  and  apparently  contented  with  their  lot.  "  Then,"  says 
a  writer,  "  in  this  region  nature's  wild  magnificence  was  yet  fresh  ; 
coast,  lake  and  river  abounded  with  plenty  ;  primeval  forests  were 
unprofaned  ;  numerous  villages  dotted  shores  and  valleys ;  from  the 
warrior's  camp-fire  the  curling  smoke  never  ceased  to  ascend,  nor  the 
sounds  of  song  and  dance  to  be  heard  ;  then,  bands  of  gaily-dressed 
savages  roamed  over  every  hillside— humanity,  unrestrained,  vied  with 
bird  and  beast  in  the  exercise  of  liberty  absolute.  This  is  no  history  : 
alas!  they  have  none;  it  is  but  a  sun  picture,  and  to  be  taken 
correctly  must  be  taken  quickly. 

"Nor  need  we  pause  to  look  back  through  the  dark  vista  of 
unwritten  history,  and  speculate  who  and  what  they  are,  nor  for  how 
many  thousands  of  years  they  have  been  coming  and  going,  counting 
the  winters,  the  moons  and  the  sleeps,  chasing  the  wild  game  or 
fur-bearing  animals,  pursuing  and  being  pursued,  killing  and  being 
killed.  All  knowledge  regarding  them  lies  buried  in  an  eternity  of 
the  past,  as  all  knowledge  of  their  successors  remains  folded  in  an 
eternity  of  the  future.  We  came  upon  them  unawares,  unbidden, 
and  while  we  bargained  our  worse  than  useless  commodities,  they 
melted  away.  The  infectious  air  of  civilization  penetrated  to  the 
remotest  corner  of  their  solitudes.  Their  ignorant  and  credulous 
nature,  unable  to  cope  with  the  intellect  of  a  superior  race,  absorbed 
only  its  vices,  yielding  up  its  own  simplicity  and  nobleness  for  the 
white  man's  diseases  and  death.  Savagism  and  civilization  will  not 
coalesce  any  more  than  light  and  darkness." 

INDIAN  POPULATION,  1852  AND  1892. — In  a  report  by  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  to  the  House  of  Commons,  presented  in  1857,  the 


116  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

following  trading-posts  and  the  number  of  Indians  frequenting  them 
are  mentioned.  They  were  included  in  what  is  now  within  the 
boundaries  of  British  Columbia.  The  population  about  that  time,  or 
say,  in  1852,  in  round  numbers  is  given  at  seventy-five  thousand.  The 
Annual  Report  of  the  Department  of  Indian  Affairs  for  189 2,  published 
a  return  of  the  last  Dominion  census,  showing  the  number  of  resident 
and  nomadic  Indians  in  British  Columbia  ;  it  also  shows  the  religious 
denominations  to  which  they  belong.  A  synopsis  of  that  return, 
giving  the  totals,  is  appended  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  return 
for  comparison,  as  follows  : 

VANCOUVER  ISLAND — Fort  Victoria,  5,000;  Fort  Rupert,  4,000;. 
Nanaimo,  3,000.  FRASEB  RIVER — Fort  Langley,  4,000.  NORTH- 
WEST COAST— Fort  Simpson,  10,000 ;  Northern  tribes,  35,000. 
THOMPSON  RIVER — 2,000.  NEW  CALEDONIA — Stuart  Lake,  McLeod 
Lake,  Fraser  Lake,  Alexandria,  Fort  George,  Babines,  and  Connoly 
Lake,  12,000.  Making  an  approximate  total  of  75,000. 

The  Department  of  Indian  Affairs  gives,  for  1892,  the  following 
list  of  agencies  : 

1.  West  Coast  Agency — number  of  Indians,  2,872,  in  18  tribes  or 
bands,  of  whom  639  are  Roman  Catholics,  and  2,233  pagans. 

2.  Fraser   River   Agency — 4,278,  in  49  bands  ;    547  Protestants, 
3,719  Roman  Catholics,  and  12  pagans. 

3.  Kamloops   Agency — 2,327,    in    44   bands;    1,175   Protestants,. 
1,084  Roman  Catholics,  68  pagans. 

4.  Okanagan   Agency— 852,    in    13    bands;    46   Protestants,    73ft 
Roman  Catholics,  and  70  pagans. 

5.  Cowichan  Agency — 2,044,  in    34  bands.       In  this  agency  the 
majority  have  been  baptized  into  the  Catholic  Church ;  many  attend 
Wesleyan  and  English  missions,  but  a  large  number  attend  no  church 
whatever  ;  in  fact  are  pagans. 

6.  Kawkewlth  Agency — 1,678,  in  17   bands;    1,355  Protestants, 
323  pagans. 

7.  William  Lake  Agency— 1,813,  in  20    bands;    48  Protestants. 
1,765  pagans. 

8.  Kootenay  Agency — 638,  in  5  bands ;  all  Roman  Catholics. 

9.  North-west  Coast    (mainland)    Agency — 4,049,    in    25    bands ; 
3,004  Protestants,  1,045  pagans. 

10.  Babine  and  Upper  Skeena  Agency — 2,612,  in  25  bands;  7^ 
Protestants,  1,499  Roman  Catholics,  1,038  pagans. 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  117 

No  agent  at  Hiletsuck,  2,274;  Tahelie,  1,000;  other  bands  not 
visited,  8,522. 

Total,  34,959. 

PROGRESS  AT  THE  AGENCIES. — The  Indians  in  Agency  2  are  re- 
ported by  the  visiting  superintendent  to  possess  real  and,  personal 
property  to  the  value  of  $1,312,545  (the  real  property  is  inalienable, 
and  belongs  conjointly  to  the  tribe) ;  to  have  3,673  acres  of  land 
under  cultivation;  to  own  103  ploughs,  62  waggons  and  carts;  to 
have  raised  22,035  bushels  of  potatoes,  11,456  bushels  of  oats,  3,222 
bushels  of  wheat,  2,436  bushels  of  barley,  2,643  bushels  Indian 
corn,  and  150  bushels  buckwheat,  and  cut  3,118  tons  of  hay; 
that  they  own  986  horses,  478  cows,  253  sheep,  and  2,400  pigs. 
Agency  1  is  credited  with  having  $70,300  in  personal  property ; 
value  of  furs  taken,  $66,600;  raise  1,500  bushels  of  potatoes. 
Agency  3 — value  of  real  and  personal  property,  $206,487  ;  acres 
under  cultivation,  930;  horses  number  2,'202;  cows,  292;  pigs, 
279;  young  stock,  347;  value  of  furs  taken,  $10,045;  other 
industries,  $53,200;  corn,  523  bushels;  wheat,  1,908;  oats,  3,020; 
beans,  1,261  bushels;  potatoes,  19,180;  tons  of  hay  cut,  1,231. 
Agency  4 — real  and  personal  property,  $208,992  ;  furs,  $2,635 ;  other 
industries,  $20,200;  corn,  963  bushels;  wheat,  8,460  bushels;  oats, 
4,255  bushels ;  peas,  1,460  bushels;  beans,  585  bushels;  onions,  218 
bushels;  potatoes,  13,679  bushels;  hay,  727  tons.  The  other  agen- 
cies are  reported  upon,  and  show  varied  results,  according  to  the 
industrious  habits  or  situation  of  the  tribes. 

EDUCATIONAL  GRANTS.— Twenty-five  Indian  schools  in  British  Col- 
umbia received  educational  grants  from  the  Dominion  Government 
in  1893,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  $40,434.  The  sums  range 
from  $504  for  each  of  sixteen  schools;  Coqualeetza,  $1,300;  Yale, 
.$1,500;  St.  Mary's,  $2,400;  Kamloops,  $3,250;  Alert  Bay  and 
Kuper  Island,  each  $4,450;  Metlahkathla,  $5,270;  and  Kootenay, 
-$6,500.  Several  of  these  schools  are  conducted  on  the  industrial 
plan,  under  the  Anglican,  Presbyterian,  Roman  Catholic,  and  Meth- 
odist Churches. 

ANNUAL  REPORT. — The  visiting  superintendent  in  his  report  states 
"  that  the  advancement  and  general  condition  of  the  native  population 
has  been  highly  satisfactory.  .  .  .  The  discontent  which  had  been 
noticeable  for  years  past  in  some  of  the  agencies,  engendering  feelings 
hostile  to  the  Government  and  to  the  Department,  and  therefore  to 
their- own  advancement,  seemed  to  be  happily  dying  out,  and  to  be 


118  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

gradually  replaced  by  a  more  trusting  spirit  and  a  desire  to  work  in 
harmony  with  those  who  labor  for  their  good.  ...  A.  steady  im- 
provement in  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  natives  is  observable.  .  .  . 
Much  has  yet  to  be  learned  and  accomplished  in  that  direction  by 
many  of  the  bands.  ...  In  four  of  the  agencies,  epidemics  (measles, 
influenza,  and  quinsy)  appeared,  and  caused  several  deaths,  mostly 
amongst  young  people.  .  .  .  Throughout  the  remaining  agencies  the 
general  health  was  exceptionally  good,  and  an  increase  of  the  Indian 
population  is  observed.  ...  In  visiting  the  Indians  throughout  the 
Province, — was  much  pleased  with  the  signs  of  advancement  to  be 
seen,  and  by  noticing  to  a  great  extent  the  increase  of  different  indus- 
tries amongst  them,  and  the  consequent  comfort  and  contentment 
visible.  .  .  .  For  years,  Indians,  with  their  wives  and  families,  and 
many  of  the  young  men,  on  account  of  the  opportunities  of  earning 
money  so  easily  at  the  hop-fields,  and  the  excitement  produced  by 
travel  and  a  constant  change,  have  been  in  the  habit  of  abandoning, 
for  the  greater  portion  of  the  summer  and  autumn,  their  reserves, 
to  the  utter  neglect  of  their  gardens  and  other  home  industries.  .  .  . 
They  also  contract  immoral  habits,  and  diseases  of  mind  and  body, 
which  prove  fatal  to  their  advancement  and  to  the  welfare  of  their 
offspring.  Such  being,  mostly,  the  outcome  of  these  annual  peregrina- 
tions, any  change  in  such  a  course  of  life  cannot  but  prove  a  blessing 
to  those  concerned.  ...  In  the  Kamloops  and  Okanagan  Agencies, 
large  numbers  of  the  natives  have  been  employed  on  the  Pacific  rail- 
road. They  continue  to  give  every  satisfaction  to  their  employers 
and  the  public  by  their  peaceful  and  orderly  conduct,  and  by  their 
steady  and  faithful  work.  .  .  .  At  Fort  Steele,  Kootenay,  a  skilled 
physician  is  subsidized  by  the  Provincial  Government,  whose  presence 
is  prized  by  aborigines  and  white  settlers." 

DESERTED  VILLAGES. — From  the  foregoing  statements,  it  appears 
that  during  the  past  forty  years  the  Indian  population  has  decreased 
from  75,000  to  35,000,  more  than  fifty  per  cent.  The  decrease  on 
the  sea-coast  is  doubtless  more  than  proportionate  in  some  places. 
For  example,  on  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  early  writers  on  the  subject 
state  that  from  ten  to  twelve  large  bands  existed  there.  From  the 
remains  of  villages  of  great  extent,  the  statement  need  not  be  doubted. 
Now  only  three  villages — Massett,  with  a  population  of  401  ;  Skide- 
gate,  194  ;  and  Clew,  once  the  populous  and  powerful  Nishgar  nation, 
with  a  remnant  of  only  84 — remain.  On  either  side  of  the  entrance 
of  Cumshewa  Inlet  to  Clew,  their  present  station,  are  the  ruins  of 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  1191 

two  of  their  former  villages.  These  relics,  along  with  many  others- 
along  the  coast  of  these  islands  are  sad  evidence  of  the  decay  and 
almost  extinction  of  what  was,  less  than  one  hundred  years  ago,  the 
most  robust  and  warlike  of  the  tribes  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Contact 
with  what  is  called  civilization,  has  led  to  their  destruction.  Without 
any  restraint,  their  reckless  improvidence  and  love  of  intoxicating 
drink  fostered  licentiousness  and  produced  disease.  Small-pox  and 
measles  carried  off  thousands.  Many  tribes  have  become  extinct,, 
others  are  bordering  on  extermination. 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 


THE  TWO  SYSTEMS  CONTRASTED. 

PRIMITIVE  INDIAN  REGULATIONS. — Under  the  management  of  the 
two  great  fur  companies  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  the  result  has 
been  different.  Their  treatment  of  the  natives  was  humane  and 
protective.  They  set  up  certain  standards  of  trade,  and  acted  up  to 
them  fairly.  They  preserved  order,  and  were  ready  to  assist  and 
protect  those  who  lived  up  to  the  required  standard,  and  as  ready 
and  determined  to  punish  offenders.  A  stolen  article  must  be- 
restored.  The  tribe  harboring  a  thief  was  cut  off  from  commercial 
intercourse.  Bancroft  says :  "  Unlike  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  the  British  North  Americans  did  not  seek  to  revenge  them- 
selves upon  savage  wrongdoers,  after  the  savage  fashion.  When  an> 
offence  was  committed  they  did  not  go  out  and  shoot  down  the  first 
Indians  they  met;  they  did  not  butcher  innocent  women  and  children; 
they  did  not  scalp  or  offer  rewards  for  scalps."  The  following  extract 
from  the  legislative  journals  of  Idaho  Territory  shows  to  what  depths 
of  cruelty  and  inhumanity  the  citizens  of  that  state  had  reached  : 
"  Resolved,  that  three  men  be  appointed  to  select  twenty-five  men  to 
go  Indian  hunting,  and  all  those  who  can  fit  themselves  out  shall 
receive  a  nominal  sum  for  all  scalps  that  they  may  bring  in ;  and  all 
who  cannot  fit  themselves  out,  shall  be  fitted  out  by  the  committee,, 
and  when  they  bring  in  scalps  it  shall  be  deducted  out.  That  for 
every  buck  scalp  be  paid  $100,  and  for  every  squaw  $50,  and  $25 
for  everything  in  the  shape  of  an  Indian  under  ten  years  of  age. 


120  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

That  such  scalp  shall  have  the  curl  of  the  head,  and  each  man  shall 
make  oath  that  the  said  scalp  was  taken  by  the  company." 

WARS  AND  MASSACRES. — This  barbarous  mode  of  action  could  not 
but  rouse  the  most  vindictive  feelings  amongst  the  natives.  The 
result  is  that  five  hundred  million  dollars  has  been  spent  by  the  United 
States  in  Indian  wars.  This  is  the  statement  of  Bancroft,  the  United 
States  historian,  who  adds,  "between  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific,  in  United  States  territory  there  is  not  a  hundred-mile 
patch  on  which  white  men  and  red  men  have  not  fought ;  and  during 
our  hundred  years  of  national  history  each  successive  score  may  count 
its  great  Indian  battle,  and  some  scores,  three  to  five.  ...  North 
of  the  Canadian  line,"  he  continues,  "  where  dominate  the  same 
avaricious  Anglo-Saxon  race  over  the  same  untamed  element  of 
humanity,  there  never  have  been  Indian  wars  or  massacres,  such  as 
have  been  almost  constant  on  the  United  States  border ;  not  a  single 
encounter  such  as  we  could  call  a  bloody  battle,  and  no  money  spent 
by  the  Government  to  keep  the  natives  in  peaceful  subjection. 

BRITISH  FUR  COMPANIES — POLICY. — "  The  reason  is  plain.  In  the 
latter  instance  the  natives  are  treated  as  human  beings,  and  their 
rights  in  some  measure  respected.  Being  amenable  to  law  they  are 
protected  by  the  law.  Of  crimes  among  themselves,  of  their  wars 
and  atrocities,  the  fur  companies  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  take 
special  notice,  though  without  direct  interference  they  used  their 
influence  to  prevent  barbarities  and  maintain  the  peace,  for  the  men 
could  not  hunt  and  trade  while  fighting.  By  preventing  the  coalition 
of  neighboring  nations;  by  fostering  petty  jealousies;  by  refusing 
arms  and  ammunition  for  purposes  of  war;  by  dividing  clans;  by 
setting  up  one  chief  and  deposing  another  ;  by  weakening  the  strong 
and  strengthening  the  weak — the  fur  companies  held  the  balance  of 
power.  The  British  fur  companies  found  it  to  their  pecuniary  interest 
to  be  just  and  humane  in  their  dealings  with  the  natives. 

CERTAINTY  OF  PUNISHMENT.  —  "  If  an  Indian  murdered  a  white 
man,  or  any  person  in  the  employ  of  the  Company,  the  tribe  to  which 
he  belonged  were  assured  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear ;  that  King 
George  men  (the  Indian  appellation  for  Englishmen)  were  single- 
hearted  and  just ;  that  unlike  the  Indians  themselves,  they  did  not 
deem  it  fair  to  punish  the  innocent  for  the  deeds  of  the  guilty,  but 
the  murderer  must  be  delivered  to  them.  This  demand  was  enforced 
with  inexorable  persistency.  This  certainty  of  punishment  acted 
upon  the  savage  mind  with  all  the  power  of  a  superstition.  Felons 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  121 

trembled  before  the  white  man's  justice  as  in  the  presence  of  the 
Almighty. 

SERVANTS  OF  THE  COMPANY  HELD  RESPONSIBLE. — "  In  all  that  vast 
realm  which  they  ruled,  there  was  not  a  mountain  distant  enough, 
nor  forest  deep  enough,  nor  icy  cave  dark  enough,  to  hide  the  felon 
from  their  justice,  though  none  but  he  need  have  aught  to  fear.  The 
officers  and  servants  of  the  Company  were  ordered  to  go  to  any  trouble 
or  expense  in  seeking  and  punishing  an  offender,  and  they  were  never 
to  cease  their  efforts  until  the  end  was  accomplished.  Employes  of 
the  companies  were  unlike  the  United  States  border-men,  inasmuch 
as  they  were  trained  to  the  business  and  held  to  a  strict  account- 
ability for  every  act,  whether  in  their  intercourse  with  white  men  or 
Indians.  They  were  no  more  allowed  to  shoot  or  ill-treat  savages 
than  to  murder  or  swindle  their  own  comrades.  The  free  trapper,  on 
the  other  hand,  was  often  a  rough  character  who  escaped  from  home 
in  early  life  or  from  later  questionable  transactions.  Governed  solely 
by  his  passions,  and  responsible  to  no  one ;  all  cases  to  him  were 
simple  questions  of  expediency  ;  when  he  thought  of  shooting  an 
Indian  for  the  beaver  skin  he  carried,  it  was  well  enough  to  consider 
the  chances  of  capture  and  escape." 

"DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  LAND." — In  the  early  days  it  was  customary 
for  the  servants  of  the  companies  to  take  to  wife  "  the  daughters  of 
the  land."  "  By  this  means  two  objects  were  secured  :  the  more 
powerful  native  tribes  were  allied  to  the  trader's  interest,  and  the 
servants  of  the  companies,  as  offspring  came  on,  became  fixed  in  the 
country.  Further  than  this,  gross  immorality  was  thus  in  a  measure 
prevented.  No  civilized  marriage  rites  attended  these  unions.  The 
father  of  the  bride  was  usually  solicited,  and  presents  were  made, 
after  the  Indian  fashion  ;  the  delighted  women  thus  taken  were,  as  a 
rule,  affectionate  and  obedient,  and  to  the  honor  of  the  fur-hunters,  be 
it  said,  they  were  treated  by  the  men  with  kindness  and  often  with 
show  of  respect.  The  fur  companies  have  generally  acknowledged 
the  claims  of  the  half-breed  children  to  protection  and  sustenance,  and 
this  class  has  never  been  forced  into  savagism.  Attached  to  the 
North- West  Company  in  1817  were  fifteen  hundred  half-breed  women 
and  children ;  so  many,  indeed,  that  the  Company  forbade  their 
servants  taking  new  wives  from  the  forest.  Several  thousand  doljars 
were  subscribed,  about  that  time,  by  the  partners  and  clerks  of  the 
North- West  Company  to  establish  a  school  at  Rainy  Lake,  or  Fort 
William,  for  the  education  of  the  children." 


122  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEE  XV. 


GREAT  INCREASE  OF  TRADE. 

FORT  VANCOUVER. — After  the  union  of  the  companies,  retaining  the 
name  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  trade  rapidly  grew  and  widened. 
It  was  found  that  the  site  of  Fort  George  (formerly  Astoria),  on  the 
Columbia,  was  too  far  west  for  convenience.  It  was,  therefore, 
changed  in  1824-5,  to  a  location  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  six 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  Williamette  River.  The  building,  which 
was  named  Fort  Vancouver,  was  located  on  the  fir-skirted  brow  of  a 
gently  sloping  prairie,  about  one  mile  from  the  river;  but  the  distance 
proving  an  obstacle  to  transport  and  communication,  it  was  moved,  a 
few  years  afterwards,  to  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  stream. 
This  site  was  also  chosen  for  its  convenience  to  the  traffic,  which  was 
carried  on  to  and  from  Puget  Sound.  The  fort  continued  in  the 
occupation  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  until  1847,  when  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Company  were,  removed  to  Victoria. 

AN  EXTENSIVE  CONCERN. — The  new  fort,  Vancouver,  was  an  exten- 
sive concern.  Built  in  the  usual  parallelogram  shape,  it  measured 
750  feet  in  length  and  500  feet  in  breadth,  enclosed  by  a  picket  wall 
of  large  and  closely  fitted  beams,  over  twenty  feet  in  height,  secured 
by  buttresses  on  the  inside.  The  interior  was  divided  into  two  courts, 
with  about  forty  buildings  ;  ail  of  wood,  except  the  powder  magazine, 
which  was  constructed  of  brick  and  stone.  In  the  centre,  facing  the 
main  entrance,  stood  the  governor's  residence,  with  the  dining-room, 
smoking-room,  and  public  sitting-room,  or  bachelors'  hall,  the  latter 
serving  also  for  a  museum  of  Indian  relics  and  other  curiosities. 
Single  men,  clerks  and  others  made  the  bachelors'  hall  their  place  of 
resort.  Strangers  were  sent  there  ;  it  was  the  rendezvous  for  pastime 
and  gossip.  To  these  rooms  artizans  and  servants  were  not  admitted. 
The  governor's  residence  was  the  only  two-story  house  in  the  fort,  and 
before  it  frowned  two  old  mounted  1 8-pounders.  The  quarters  of  the 
chief  factor  were  provided  in  like  manner  with  two  swivel-guns. 

RELIGIOUS  WORSHIP. — A  prominent  position  was  occupied  by  the 
Roman  Catholic  chapel,  in  which  a  majority  of  the  employes 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  123 

worshipped ;  while  the  smaller  congregation  of  Episcopalians,  etq., 
made  use  of  the  dining-room  for  religious  gatherings.  The  other 
buildings  consisted  of  dwellings  for  officers  and  men  ;  school,  ware- 
houses, and  retail  stores,  and  artizans'  shops  of  all  descriptions.  The 
interior  of  the  dwellings  exhibited,  as  a  rule,  an  unpainted  board 
panel,  with  bunks  for  bedsteads,  and  a  few  other  simple  pieces  of 
furniture.  A  short  distance  from  the  fort,  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
lay  a  village  of  about  sixty  neat  and  well-built  houses — laid  out  in 
rows  so  as  to  form  streets — for  the  married  mechanics  and  servants. 
In  the  group  were  also  the  hospital,  boat  house  and  salmon  house, 
and  near  by  were  barns,  threshing  mills,  granaries  and  dairy 
buildings. 

A  WELL-MANAGED  FARM.— The  plain  around  the  fort,  and  along 
the  river  as  far  as  Calapooya  Creek,  for  about  nine  square  miles,  was 
occupied  by  a  well-managed  farm,  fenced  into  grain  fields,  pastures 
and  gardens — the  latter  quite  renowned  for  their  large  variety  and 
tine  specimens  of  plants.  Fully  fifteen  hundred  acres  were  under 
cultivation.  The  live  stock  numbered  about  three  thousand  head  of 
cattle,  twenty-five  hundred  sheep,  and  three  hundred  brood  mares. 
On  the  dairy  farm  were  upwards  of  one  hundred  cows,  and  a  still 
greater  number  supplied  the  dairy  on  Wapato  Island,  the  produce 
being  chiefly  absorbed  by  the  Russian  colonies  in  the  north.  About 
six  miles  up  the  Columbia  a  grist  mill  and  a  saw  mill  were  in  operation. 
Lumber  and  flour  were  shipped  to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

WALLA  WALLA. — Another  principal  trading-post  was  Fort  Walla 
Walla.  It  was  erected  on  a  promontory  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  junction  of  the  Walla  Walla  River  with  the  Columbia. 
The  place  was  originally  called  Fort  Nez  Perce,  and  was  first  built  to 
protect  Ogden's  party  of  fur  traders,  about  the  year  1818.  The 
attack  was  repelled,  but  the  necessity  for  a  strong  place  became 
apparent  in  case  of  future  hostilities.  Timber  being  scarce,  it  wan 
brought  from  a  great  distance.  "The  wall  was  formed  of  sawed 
timber,  twenty  feet  long,  two  feet  and  a  half  wide,  and  six  inches 
thick,  forming  an  enclosure  two  hundred  feet  square.  Within  the 
walls  were  stores  and  dwellings  for  servants,  and  in  the  centre  another 
enclosure  twelve  feet  in  height,  with  port-holes  and  slip-doors,  a  fort 
within  a  fort.  Beside  the  outer  gate,  moved  by  a  pulley,  the  entrance 
was  guarded  by  double  doors,  and,  for  further  security,  the  natives 
were  not  admitted  within  the  pickets,  but  carried  on  their  trade 
through  a  small  opening  in  the  wall  which  was  protected  by  a  small 


124  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

door.  The  war  material  consisted  of  four  pieces  of  ordnance  of  from 
one  to  three  pounds,  ten  swivel  guns,  and  a  supply  of  muskets,  pikes 
and  hand-grenades. 

ACCOUNTS  MADE  UP  AND  CHECKED. — Fort  Colville,  the  last 
important  post  on  the  Columbia  River,  before  leaving  for  the  moun- 
tains, was  situated  some  distance  south  of  the  present  boundary  line. 
At  that  station  the  accounts  of  the  whole  country  were  made  up.  The 
accountants  from  the  minor  forts  either  came  or  sent  their  accounts 
there,  where  they  were  checked  and  included  in  the  general  statement 
for  the  year,  to  be  transmitted  with  the  annual  express  brigade.  This 
brigade  left  Fort  Vancouver  so  as  to  reach  Norway  House  about 
the  middle  of  March,  where  the  great  council  met  every  summer. 
It  was  in  charge  of  a  confidential  officer.  This  service  was  conducted 
for  several  years  by  Chief  Factor  James  Douglas.  A.  C.  Anderson 
had  charge  of  the  brigade  in  1842.  There  were  several  brigades 
which  arrived  and  departed  regularly  from  Fort  Vancouver.  From 
that  fort  were  supplied  the  upper  and  interior  posts  as  far  as  Fort 
James  on  Stuart  Lake,  via  Thompson  River. 

ANNUAL  EXPEDITIONS. — Every  autumn  trapping  and  trading  expe- 
ditions were  sent  out  from  nearly  all  the  principal  forts,  who  returned 
with  their  catch  the  following  spring  or  summer.  These  parties 
consisted  of  from  five  to  thirty  natives  with  their  families ;  or  were 
composed  wholly  or  in  part  of  half-breeds  or  white  men,  sometimes 
under  the  guidance  of  a  servant  of  the  Company  but  as  often  alone, 
and  that  after  having  procured  their  outfit  on  credit.  Two  of  these 
parties,  much  larger  than  from  the  minor  posts,  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  men  each,  set  out  from  Fort  Vancouver  every  year,  one 
proceeding  south  ward  as  far  as  San  Francisco  Bay,  the  other  eastward 
toward  the  Flathead  country  and  the  Colorado. 

RIVER  COLUMBIA  BARGES. — -In  conveying  goods  or  furs  up  or  down 
the  Columbia,  barges,  each  of  five  or  six  tons  burden,  were  employed. 
They  were  manned  by  six  French-Canadians,  sometimes  called  Iro- 
quois,  as  they  were  generally  half-breeds  of  the  Iroquois  tribe.  The 
barges  were  steered  by  a  paddle,  and  both  goods  and  the  barges  were 
carried  over  the  portages.  For  a  small  quantity  of  tobacco  to  each 
native  Indian,  twenty-five  of  them  were  always  willing  and  ready  to 
transfer  boats  and  goods  from  one  landing  to  the  other.  The  tobacco 
sold  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  is  said  to  have  been  obtained  mostly 
from  Brazil.  It  was  twisted  into  a  rope,  one  inch  in  diameter,  coiled 
and  sold  by  the  inch.  Usually  the  trapper  required  credit,  and  his 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  125 

ability  to  pay  depended  on  his  success,  which  risk  the  Company  was 
obliged  to  take.  The  Indians  were  readily  trusted,  the  original  cost 
of  the  articles  credited  being  so  small  in  proportion  to  expected 
returns,  that  the  Company  could  well  afford  to  make  the  venture. 

CONVENTION  OF  1818. — At  the  time  when  the  coalition  of  the  rival 
companies  was  effected  in  1821,  a  license  of  exclusive  trade  in  such 
Indian  territory  as  was  not  included  in  the  original  charter  was 
granted  them  by  the  British  Government  for  a  term  of  twenty-one 
years.  This  license  was  granted  under  an  agreement  made  at  a 
convention  signed  in  London,  October  20,  1818,  which  stipulated 
that  any  portion  of  the  country  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America, 
westward  of  the  Rocky  (or  Stony)  Mountains,  shall  be  free  and  open 
for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date  of  the  convention  to  the 
subjects  of  the  two  powers  .  .  .  and  is  not  to  be  construed  to  the 
prejudice  of  any  claim  which  either  of  the  two  contracting  parties 
(Great  Britain  and  the  United  States)  may  have  to  any  part  of  the 
said  country  ;  the  only  object  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  in  that 
respect,  being  to  prevent  disputes  among  themselves." 

SUPPLEMENTARY  LICENSE  IN  1838. — In  1827,  another  convention 
was  signed  in  London,  August  6th,  by  which  the  above-mentioned 
provisions  were  extended  indefinitely,  subject  to  abrogation  upon 
twelve  months'  notice  by  either  party  ;  but  "shall  not  be  construed 
to  impair  of  in  any  manner  affect  the  claims  which  either  party  may 
have  to  any  part  of  the  country  westward  of  the  Stony  or  Rocky 
Mountains."  This  led  to  a  trading  license  in  1838  being  granted, 
supplementary  to  the  former,  extending  this  absolute  power  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  over  the  whole  of  the  region  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

THE  ALASKA  BOUNDARY  IMPRACTICABLE. — From  this  must,  how- 
ever, be  excepted  that  portion  of  the  North-West  claimed  by  Russia, 
the  boundary  of  which  between  Great  Britain  and  Russia  is  defined 
by  the  treaty  concluded  in  1825,  as  follows  : 

"  ARTICLE  III. — The  line  of  demarcation  between  the  possessions 
of  the  high  contracting  parties  upon  the  coast  of  the  Continent  and 
the  Islands  of  America  to  the  north-west,  shall  be  drawn  in  the  man- 
ner following  :  Commencing  from  the  southernmost  point  of  the  island 
called  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  which  lies  in  the  parallel  of  54°  40' 
north  latitude,  and  between  the  131st  and  the  133rd  degree  of  west 
longitude  (meridian  of  Greenwich),  the  said  line  shall  ascend  to  the 
north  along  the  channel  called  Portland  Channel,  as  far  as  the  point  of 
the  continent  where  it  strikes  the  56th  degree  of  north  latitude  ;  from 


126  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

this  last-mentioned  point  the  line  of  demarcation  shall  follow  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  situated  parallel  to  the  coast  as  far  as  the 
point  of  intersection  of  the  141st  degree  of  west  longitude  (of  the 
sa'iie  meridian)  ;  and,  finally  from  the  said  point  of  intersection,  the 
said  meridian  line  of  the  14 1st  degree,  in  its  prolongation  as  far  as 
the  Frozen  Ocean,  shall  form  the  limit  between  the  Russian  and 
British  possessions,  on  the  Continent  of  America  to  the  north-west. 
—From  the  Report  by  Colonel  D.  R.  Cameron,  R.A.,  C.M.G.,  Sep- 
tember, 1886. 

"  ARTICLE  IV. — With  regard  to  the  boundary  lines  established  in 
the  preceding  article,  it  is  understood  that  the  island  named  Prince 
of  Wales  belongs  entirely  to  Russia,  and  that  whenever  the  summit  of 
the  mountains  running  parallel  with  the  coast  from  56th  degree  of 
north  latitude,  to  the  point  of  intersection  with  the  141st  meridian, 
shall  be  more  than  ten  leagues  from  the  shore,  the  boundary  line  of  the 
British  possessions  shall  run  parallel  with  the  coast  line  at  a  distance 
of  not  greater  than  ten  leagues,  the  land  between  such  line  and  the 
coast  to  belong  to  Russia." 

The  interpolation  of  the  three  words,  "  called  Portland  Channel," 
has  rendered  the  wording  of  the  treaty  obscure  and  the  boundary 
impracticable,  as  described  south  of  the  56th  degree  of  latitude.  A 
joint  commission  of  both  the  "  high  contracting  parties  "  has  been  at 
work  for  the  past  two  years,  arranging  for  the  proper  settlement  of 
"  the  line  of  demarcation."  Their  labors  will  likely  terminate  in  a 
convention  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  Why  the 
words,  "called  Portland  Channel,"  should  have  been  introduced  has 
not  so  far  been  understood,  neither  can  they  be  reconciled  with  Van- 
couver's survey  (1793-4),  on  which  the  treaty  was  based,  nor  with 
the  description  of  the  southern  portion  of  the  boundary  "  from  the 
southernmost  point  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  from  south  to  north." 

The  next  reference  on  this  question  is  a  map  of  North  America 
published  in  Paris,  dated  1815,  which  shows  the  boundary  between 
Great  Britain  and  Russia  was  then  understood  to  be  the  56th  degree 
of  north  latitude.  A  Russian  atlas,  published  in  1849,  places  the 
boundary  in  Portland  Canal,  which  it  reaches  by  going  east  to 
Observatory  Inlet  and  then  north. 

THE  "  BEAVER  "  AND  "  LABOUCHERK." — An  extensive  trade  with 
Russia  was  subsequently  carried  on.  In  1837,  a  strip  along  the 
Alaskan  coast  was  leased  by  the  Russian-American  Fur  Company  to 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  This  arrangement  was  not  only  to  enable 
the  Company  to  obtain  furs,  but  also  to  enable  them  to  supply  the 
Russian  with  beef,  butter,  and  other  products  and  goods  which  were 
shipped  from  Fort  Vancouver  in  large  quantities.  The  steamer 


THE   FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  127 

Beaver  was  tirst  employed  in  the  trade.  Afterwards  the  Labouchere, 
a  much  larger  steamer,  was  required.  Five  well-armed  sailing  vessels 
were  also  engaged  in  this  service.  They  ranged  from  one  hundred 
to  three  hundred  tons  each. 

TRADE  WITH  THE  INTERIOR.— The  former  fur  trade  was  also  con- 
tinued with  the  interior.  It  is  surprising  that  such  an  enormous 
traffic  could  be  maintained  with  the  natives  without  the  use  of  money. 
The  North- West  Company  once  established  a  paper  currency.  It 
soon  depreciated,  and  eventually  went  out  of  use.  At  the  Red  River 
settlement  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  circulated  a  paper  currency  in 
conjunction  with  silver,  which  continued  to  be  used  there  until  the 
Company  transferred  its  territorial  rights  to  the  Dominion  of  Canada 
in  1869.  It  may  interest  the  reader  to  know  how  the  primitive 
trade  was  carried  on. 

No  MONEY  REQUIRED. — A  beaver  skin  was  usually  made  the 
standard,  and  all  other  values,  European  merchandise  as  well  as 
other  skins,  were  measured  by  it.  In  1733,  near  Hudson  Bay,  a 
native,  for  a  full-grown  beaver  skin,  could  buy  half  a  pound  of  beads, 
or  one  pound  of  Brazil  tobacco,  or  a  half  pound  of  thread.  A  gallon 
of  brandy  cost  four  beaver  skins  ;  broadcloth,  two  beaver  skins  a 
yard ;  blankets,  six  beaver  skins  each  ;  powder,  one  and  a  half 
pounds,  and  of  shot  five  pounds  for  a  beaver  skin ;  and  so  on  through 
a  long  list,  the  quantity  of  goods  for  a  beaver  skin  varying  according 
to  remoteness  and  competition. 

At  the  time  and  place  last  mentioned,  three  martens  were  counted 
as  one  beaver ;  one  fox,  one  moose,  two  deer,  one  wolf,  ten  pounds 
of  feathers,  one  black  bear,  were  each  equivalent  to  one  beaver.  At 
this  time  beaver  skins  were  selling  in  London  at  five  or  six  shillings 
a  pound  ;  marten,  eight  shillings  each ;  otter,  six  shillings ;  bear, 
sixteen  shillings  ;  fox,  from  six  to  ten  shillings  ;  elk,  seven  shillings ; 
deer,  two  shillings ;  wolf,  fifteen  shillings ;  and  wolverine,  eight 
shillings  each. 

A  HUNDRED  YEARS  LATER  we  find  a  blanket  worth  ten  beaver 
skins ;  a  gun,  twenty ;  a  worsted  belt,  two ;  eighteen  bullets,  one 
beaver  skin.  The  gun  cost  twenty-two  shillings,  and  the  twenty 
beaver  skins  were  then  worth  in  London,  £32  10s.  A  gill  of  powder, 
costing  one  and  a  halfpenny,  or  a  scalping  knife  costing  fourpence, 
or  a  dozen  brass  buttons,  were  exchanged  for  one  beaver  skin  worth 
£1  12s.  6d.  An  axe  sold  for  three  skins,  a  tile  for  two,  and  a  pair  of 
pantaloons  costing  four  dollars,  for  nine  skins  worth  seventy  dollars. 


128  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

The  evidence  before  the  House  of  Commons  in  1857,  given  by  Dr. 
J.  Rae,  the  Arctic  explorer,  who  died  22nd  July,  1893,  says:  "A 
blanket  was  four  beavers,  but  if  you  got  the  value  of  it  in  musk-rats 
you  would  not  have  above  a  shilling  or  two  profit,  which  would  not 
cover  the  expense.  Ten  rats  go  for  a  beaver.  Ten  rats  would  sell  in 
London,  a  few  years  ago,  for  about  three  shillings ;  they  are  higher 
now.  The  tariff  is  formed  in  a  peculiar  way,  and  necessarily  so. 
The  sums  given  for  furs  do  not  coincide  with  the  value  of  the  furs 
traded  for  with  them,  because  the  musk-rat  or  the  less  valuable  furs 
are  paid  for  at  a  higher  rate.  Were  the  Company  to  pay  for  the 
finer  furs  at  the  same  rate,  the  Indians  would  hunt  up  the  finer  furs 
and  destroy  them  off,  as  has  been  done  all  along  the  frontier,  and  we 
should  then  require  to  reduce  the  price  for  the  musk-rat  and  the 
inferior  furs,  and  the  Indians  would  not  hunt  them  at  all." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


EXPLORATIONS  AND  FORT  BUILDING. 

SUNDRY  EXPEDITIONS. — Amongst  the  expeditions  which  were  made 
across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  the  early  days,  that  of  Sir  George 
Simpson,  in  1828,  is  worthy  of  special  mention.  As  resident  governor 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  he  made  frequent  visits  to  the  territory 
of  Rupert's  Land  and  the  North-West,  in  order  to  examine  into  the 
condition  of  the  several  posts  and  superintend  the  affairs  of  the  Com- 
pany over  which  he  presided. 

On  this  occasion  his  journey  was  from  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Pacific. 
Starting  from  York  Factory,  he  ascended  Hayes  River,  passing 
through  what  was  known  as  the  boat  route  to  Lake  Winnipeg,  at  the 
northern  end  of  which  is  Norway  House.  Skirting  the  north  shore 
of  the  lake,  he  passed  to  the  Saskatchewan  River,  which  he  ascended 
to  Cumberland  House.  From  this  point  he  went  northward  through 
the  chain  of  lakes  and  streams  until  he  reached  Churchill  River, 
which  he  followed  to  Methage  Portage — the  height  of  land.  By 
Clearwater  River  he  entered  the  Athabasca,  following  its  waters  to 
Athabasca  Lake  and  Peace  River.  He  ascended  Peace  River, 
passing  through  the  main  Rocky  Mountain  chain,  and,  with  the  aid 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD. 

of  horses,  crossed  the  plateau,   a  distance  of  eighty -three  miles,  to- 
Fort  St.  James  on  the  east  of  Stuart  Lake. 

SIB  GEORGE  SIMPSON  was  careful  on  all  occasions  to  enter  the  forts 
he  visited  with  his  men  clean  and  dressed  in  their  best.  He  was. 
accompanied  by  a  piper,  who  also  acted  as  his  servant.  At  Fort 
St.  James  the  same  ceremony  was  observed  ;  a  gun  was  fired,  the  bugle 
sounded,  and  the  piper  led  the  march.  There  was  to  be  a  meeting 
held  here  of  the  chief  officers,  among  whom  Chief  Factor  James 
Douglas  (afterwards  Sir  James,  governor  of  British  Columbia)  was  ' 
present,  and  amid  a  discharge  of  small  arms,  went  out  to  meet  Sir 
George.  Mr.  Connolly,  the  chief  of  the  Pacific  Department,  was  also 
expected.  He  liad  not  arrived.  Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  the 
governor,  however,  a*  canoe  appeared  on  the  lake,  and  in  twenty 
minutes,  amid  a  salute  of  firearms,  Mr.  Connolly  entered  the  fort.. 
Chief  Factor  Archibald  MacDonald,  in  his  journal,  records  the 
singular  coincidence  which  then  happened  :  '  Sir  George  Simpson  left 
Hudson  Bay  on  July  12th  ;  Mr.  Connolly,  the  Pacific  on  the  12th  of 
the  same  month." 

KAMLOOPS  AND  FORT  LA.NGLEY. — From  Lake  Stuart,  Sir  George? 
Simpson  passed  along  Stuart  River  and  Fraser  River  to  Fort 
Alexandria.  Horses  were  taken  at  this  place  and  the  country  crossed 
to  Kamloops,  a  distance  of  215  miles.  At  Kamloops,  water  naviga- 
tion was  resumed  in  a  canoe  with  twelve  men  paddling.  After 
passing  through  Lake  Kamloops  to  its  outlet,  they  entered  the  Lower 
Thompson,  which  they  descended  to  its  junction  with  the  Fraser, 
From  this  point  they  reached  tide  water  by  nearly  the  same  route  as 
that  which  was  explored  by  Simon  Fraser  twenty  years  earlier.  They 
left  Kamloops  early  on  October  6th.  1828,  and  reached  Fort  Langley,. 
on  the  Fraser,  about  twenty -five  miles  from  its  mouth,  on  the  10th,, 
the  distance  being  264  miles. 

FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC. — From  York  Factory,  the 
whole  journey  occupied  ninety  days,  of  which  sixteen  were  passed  at 
the  trading-posts ;  consequently  the  whole  time  en  route  was  seventy- 
four  days.  One  remarkable  feature  of  this  journey  was  the  short 
time  in  which  it  was  made.  Sir  George  was  well  known  for  his 
rapidity  of  movement.  Ninety  miles  a  day  was  no  uncommon 
occurrence  with  him.  The  canoes  would  start  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  with  rests  for  breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper.  The  men. 
paddled  until  a  late  hour,  which  the  long  days  of  the  northern  lati- 
tudes permitted,  sometimes  until  eight  or  ten  at  night.  The  averages 
9 


130  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

distance  was  fifty  miles  a  day.  In  some  instances,  seventy-five, 
eighty,  and  even  over  ninety  miles  were  covered.  The  journey  now 
recorded  was  made  across  the  Continent  from  the  tide  water  of  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  Jt  was  carried  out  without  any  of  the 
accessories  of  modern  locomotion,  in  so  short  a  time  that,  if  the  facts 
were  not  sustained  by  indisputable  evidence,  the  record  might  be 
considered  an  exaggeration. 

A  FORMER  JOURNEY  EAST. — It  would  appear  from  a  work  published 
l»y  Alexander  Ross,  already  mentioned,  that  Sir  George  Simpson  had 
previously  visited  the  Columbia.  Mr.  Ross  states  that  in  the  spring 
of  1825,  in  company  vwith  Sir  George,  he  set  out  on  his  return  to 
Canada.  The  party  followed  the  Columbia  to  the  Great  Bend, 
known  as  "  Boat  Encampment ; "  they  ascended  by  the  Athabasca 
Pass  to  a  small  lake,  to  which  the  name  of  the  "Committee's  Punch 
Bowl"  was  given.  On  reaching  the  main  source  of  the  Athabasca, 
they  followed  the  course  of  that  river  to  Fort  Assiniboine  ;  here  they 
changed  canoes  for  horses,  and  struck  south-easterly  across  the  country 
for  Edmonton.  At  this  post  they  remained  two  weeks.  During 
their  stay  a  grand  ball  was  given  in  honor  of  Governor  Simpson. 
The  party  left  by  a  brigade  of  boats  to  float  down  the  swift  Sas- 
katchewan. They  halted  at  Fort  Carlton  and  Cumberland  House. 
At  the  latter  place  they  found  the  Franklin  advance  party  ;  farther 
down  the  river  they  met  Captain  Franklin  and  Dr.  Richardson  on 
their  overland  Arctic  expedition.  The  travellers  readied  Lake 
Winnipeg  and  visited  Norway  House,  then  a  place  of  considerable 
business  and  activity.  There  the  traders,  on  their  return  from  the 
posts  of  the  Company — from  Lake  Superior  on  the  south,  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  New  Caledonia  on  the  west,  and  Mackenzie  River  on 
the  north — annually  collected  the  fruits  of  their  labor  to  be  despatched 
to  York  Factory  on  Hudson  Bay. 

DAVID  DOUGLAS,  THE  BOTANIST. — Another  distinguished  traveller 
visited  I^ew  Caledonia  in  1825,  namely,  David  Douglas,  the  cele- 
brated botanist.  He  spent  a  number  of  years  in  the  country,  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  extending  from  Oregon  northwards.  In  1824.  Mr. 
Douglas  started  from  England  by  sea,  and  reached  Fort  Vancouver 
in  April,  1825.  He  is  mentioned  by  Chief  Trader  John  McLeod,  as 
a  fellow-traveller  up  the  Columbia,  in  1826.  In  that  year  he  crossed 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  reached  Hudson  Bay,  where  he  met  Sir  John 
Franklin,  and  returned  with  him  to  England. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  131 

THE  DOUGLAS  FIR. — In  the  autumn  of  1829,  Mr.  Douglas  again 
.sailed  from  England  for  the  Pacific  coast  of  North  America.  Between 
the  date  of  his  arrival  and  1834,  his  explorations  extended  generally 
through  the  country  drained  by  thp  Columbia  and  the  Fraser  Rivers. 
The  last  two  years  of  his  life  were  devoted  to  scientific  examinations 
in  British  Columbia.  In  his  travels  through  the  country  he  obtained 
the  knowledge  of  many  plant's,  birds  and  mammals  hitherto  unknown. 
His  discoveries  include  the  "Douglas  Fir,"  which  will  always  bear 
his  name.  David  Douglas  was>  born  at  Scone,  Perthshire,  Scotland, 
in  1798.  He  was  gored  to  death  by  a  wild  bull,  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  July  12th,  1834. 

ROBERT  CAMPBELL. — The  last  of  the  explorers  under  the  old  regime 
was  Robert  Campbell,  a  native  of  Glenlyon,  Scotland.  He  was  the 
discoverer  of  the  Pelly-Yukon,  the  largest  river  flowing  into  the  Pacific 
from  the  American  continent.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  in  1832.  In  1834,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Mackenzie 
River  district.  In  1838,  he  established  a  trading-post  at  Dease  Lake, 
-one  of  the  sources  of  the  River  Liard,  an  important  tributary  of 
Mackenzie  River.  On  this  occasion  he  passed  over  to  Stickeen  River, 
which  flows  into  the  Pacific  near  Fort  Wrangel,  now  well  known  in 
connection  with  the  "  Cassiar  "  gold  fields  of  British  Columbia. 

Soon  afterwards  Mr.  Campbell  and  several  of  his  men  left  Dease 
Lake  and  crossed  to  the  Stickeen  River,  and  had  descended  it  for 
some  distance,  when  they  fell  in  with  a  large  party  of  coast  Indians, 
who  took  them  prisoners.  They  succeeded  in  escaping,  and  reached 
the  Indian  bridge,  over  which  they  crossed,  chopping  it  down  so  as  to 
prevent  the  Indians  following  them.  A  few  weeks  later  some  Indians 
crossed  Dease  Lake  and  along  with  other  Indians  belonging  to  that 
country  attacked  the  post  and  pillaged  it,  and  sent  Mr.  Campbell  and 
his  people  out  of  the  country.  Within  a  few  years  after,  he  explored 
the  main  branch  of  the  Liard  River  to  its  source,  Lake  Francis,  where 
he  established  a  post.  He  then  pushed  across  the  height  of  land  and 
discovered  the  Pelly  River,  and  established  a  post,  calling  it  Pelly 
Banks. 

In  1840,  Campbell  travelled  up  the  northern  branch  of  the  Liard. 
Leaving  Fort  Halkett,  on  the  latter  river,  in  May,  with  seven  men, 
he  ascended  the  branch  several  hundred  miles  into  the  mountains  to 
a,  lake  which  he  named  Lake  Francis  ;  and  some  distance  farther  to  a 
second  lake,  in  about  latitude  62°  N.,  longitude  130°  W.,  which  he 
•called  Lake  Finlayson.  From  this  point  he  passed  to  the  western 


132  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

slope,  and  in  two  days'  travel  he  discovered  a  wide  stream,  which  he/ 
styled  the  River  Pelly. 

In  1843,  Mr.  Campbell  left  Lake  Francis,  recrossed  the  mountain 
to  Pelly  River,  which  he  descended  for  sorne  distance.  This  riverf 
discovered  by  him,  proved  to  be  identical  with  the  Yukon,  which 
flows  into  the  Pacific  far  north.  Three  hundred  miles  from  the 
sources  of  the  Pelly,  Fort  Selkirk  was  established,  and  the  river  was 
explored  by  Campbell  seven  hundred  miles  to  Fort  Yukon,  which  was 
established  in  1846  by  J.  Bell,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  150 
miles  within  the  Alaska  boundary.  From  Fort  Yukon,  situated 
almost  directly  on  the  Arctic  circle  and  about  longitude  145°  W.,  Mr. 
Campbell  ascended  the  River  Porcupine  to  its  eastern  sources,  and 
crossed  the  height  of  land  to  Peel  River,  a  small  tributary  of  the- 
Mackenzie,  not  far  from  its  outlet  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Following 
the  tributary  to  the  main  stream,  he  ascended  Mackenzie  River  to 
Fort  Simpson,  his  starting-point  at  the  mouth  of  the  Liard. 

In  1848,  he  descended  the  Pelly  by  canoe  to  the  junction  of  the 
Lewis  River,  from  whence  the  river  takes  the  name  of  Yukon.  This 
was  the  first  time  a  white  man  had  been  at  the  source  of  this  river. 
In  the  following  year  he  returned  with  a  party  of  men  and  established 
a  post  at  this  junction  which  was  named  Fort  Selkirk.  This  post 
was  pillaged  by  the  Chilcats  in  1851.  When  Selkirk  was  p  llaged, 
Mr.  Campbell  went  with  two  of  his  men  back  by  the  way  of  Francis 
Lake  and  down  the  Liard  to  Fort  Simpson  and  headquarters.  When 
winter  set  in  he  started  on  snow-shoes  and  walked  down  to  Fort 
Garry,  about  two  thousand  miles,  and  after  spending  two  or  three 
days  there,  continued  his  journey  on  foot  to  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  about 
forty  miles  below  St.  Paul. 

Mr.  CAMPBELL  made  a  remarkable  journey  from  the  Yukon  country 
•to  England,  in  1852-3.  He  left  White  River,  near  the  Alaskan 
boundary,  on  September  6th  ;  ascended  the  Pelly  to  one  of  its- 
sources ;  crossed  the  mountains  to  a  branch  of  the  Liard,  which  he- 
followed  to  Fort  Simpson,  arriving  October  21st.  Winter  having  set 
in,  he  started  on  snow  shoes  to  make  a  journey  to  Crow  Wing,  on  the- 
Mississippi,  extending  over  sixteen  degrees  of  latitude  and  twenty- 
seven  degrees  of  longitude.  He  had  with  him  three  men  and  a  train* 
of  dogs;  these  were  changed  at  the  Hudson  Bay  posts  on  his  route 
as  he  arrived  at  them.  His  course  lay  by  Great  Slave  Lake,  L?ike- 
Athabasca,  He  a  la  Crosse,  Carlton  House,  Fort  Pelly,  Fort  Garry,, 
and  Pembina.  On  March  13th,  Mr.  Campbell  reached  Crow  Wing,, 
where  he  obtained  horses  for  the  journey  to  Chicago. 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  133 

FROM  CHICAGO  he  started  eastward  and  arrived  a,t  Montreal  on 
April  1st,  and  such  was  his  despatch  that  he  was  enabled  to  report 
himself  in  London,  at  the  Hudson  Bay  House,  on  the  18th  of  that 
month.  From  his  starting-point  on  the  Pelly-Yukon,  Mr.  Campbell 
had  made  a  continuous  journey  of  9,700  miles,  nearly  half  of  which 
was  through  an  uninhabited  wilderness,  and  of  this  distance  some 
three  thousand  miles  were  passed  over  in  the  dead  of  winter  and 
much  of  it  walked  on  snow-shoes.  In  the  annals  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  service,  long  winter  journeys,  under  circumstances  similar 
to  the  one  described,  are  not  uncommon.  Possibly  the  long  tramps 
of  the  intrepid  Dr.  Rae,  in  1851,  and  of  Admiral  Sir  Leopold  (then 
Commander  McClinton)  in  1853,  both  in  connection  with  the 
4*  Franklin  Search "  expeditions,  are  to  some  extent  comparable 
with  them. 

He  returned  to  the  Mackenzie  River,  and  afterwards  he  took 
charge  of  the  Athabasca  district,  and  continued  there  until  1863, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of  Swan  River.  At  this  place 
he  continued  until  he  left  the  service  in  1872,  having  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  forty  years. 

In  1880,  he  removed  to  Strathclair,  in  Manitoba,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death,  in  the  summer  of  1894,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  nearly  ninety  years.  A  writer  in  1889  said:  "Mr.  Camp- 
bell is  still  living  and  enjoys  excellent  health  on  his  ranch  in 
Manitoba.  His  name  comes  close  to  the  end,  in  a  long  list  of 
-active  and  undaunted  men,  who  from  the  days  of  Mackenzie  traversed 
the  mountains  and  unknown  wilds.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  their 
peers  in  courage  and  endurance  in  any  service." 

DR.  G.  M.  DAWSON,  in  connection  with 
the  Geological  Survey,  in  1887  and  '8S, 
visited  the  field  of  Mr.  Campbell's  discov- 
eries. He  entered  the  interior  from  the 
Pacific  coast  by  the  River  Stickeen,  passed 
over  to  the  Liard,  and  thence  to  the  Pelly- 
Yukon.  He  returned  by  the  River  Lewis, 
to  the  Lynn  Canal,  on  the  coast.  The 
journey  proved  exceedingly  fatiguing  and 
not  a  little  perilous.  His  associates,  Messrs. 
DR.  DAWSON.  McConnell  and  Ogilvie,  remained  in  the 

•district  to  carry  on  astronomical  observations  and  field  explorations 
•during  the  following  winter  and  summer. 


134 


HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


SIR  JAMES  DOUGLAS. 


SIR  JAMES  DOUGLAS. — Reference  has  already  been  made  to  Factor 
James  Douglas  as  having  met  and  received  Governor  Simpson  at  Fort 
St.  James  in  1828.  The  important  position  which  he  (afterward  Sir 
James  Douglas)  has  occupied  in  the  history  of 
British  Columbia,  entitles  him  to  a  special 
notice.  According  to  the  best  available 
authority,  he  was  born  at  Demarara  on  the 
14th  August,  1803.  His  father  was  a  scion 
of  the  noble  Scotch  family  of  Douglas,  Earl 
of  Angus,  and  had  emigrated  from  Scotland 
to  British  Guiana  a  few  years  before  the  birth 
of  James,  who  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early 
age.  The  family  soon  after  the  mother's  death 
returned  to  Lanark,  Scotland,  where  the  sons 
were  educated. 

When  little  more  than  twelve  years  of  age, 
young  Douglas  accompanied  an  elder  brother  across  the  Atlantic,  to 
push  their  fortunes  in  Canada.  The  rivalry  between  the  Hudson 
Bay  and  the  North-West  Companies  was  at  that  time  extremely  keen. 
After  a  short  interval  in  Montreal,  engaged  in  office  work,  the  lad 
was  entered  as  an  apprentice  clerk  in  the  service  of  the  North-West 
Company.  He  formed  one  of  a  brigade  to  Fort  William,  on  Lake 
Superior,  to  be  placed  under  Chief  Factor  John  McLoughlin. 

WAS  AN  APT  STUDENT. — In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  there  required 
of  him,  he  displayed  great  aptitude  in  learning,  and  with  the  short 
practice  he  formerly  had  in  Montreal,  became  well  acquainted  with 
the  French  language.  Hev  possessed  a  bold  and  resolute  spirit,  and 
remarkable  physical  strength  and  powers  of  endurance.  Those  quali- 
tie"s  were  developed  and  strengthened,  as  he  grew  to  manhood,  by 
the  character  of  the  arduous  and  varied  services  in  which  he  was 
engaged.  He  also  soon  began  to  display  those  rare  intellectual  quali- 
ties of  prudence,  determination  and  executive  capacity,  which  were 
appreciated  by  his  employer,  and  early  marked  him  a  born  leader  of 
men.  His  business  faculties  and  the  tact  he  exhibited  in  his  inter- 
course with  the  Indians,  secured  his  rapid  advancement  to  posts  of 
increased  responsibility. 

After  the  coalition  of  the  companies,  two  young  men,  brothers  of 
Douglas,  in  the  same  service,  returned  to  Scotland,  and  wished  James 
to  return  with  them.  The  chief  factor,  however,  who  remained  in. 
the  service,  and  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Columbia 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  135 

Department,  having  taken  a  fancy  to  the  young  man,  persuaded  him 
to  remain.  McLoughlin  wrote  to  the  Company's  directors  in  London 
for  permission  that  Douglas  should  accompany  him  there,  which 
request  was  granted. 

EXPERIENCE  IN  NEW  CALEDONIA.  —  Before  crossing  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  Douglas1  remained  in  the  Athabasca  district  until  1824, 
when  he  went  to  Fort  St.  James,  on  Stuart  Lake,  in  company  with 
James  Connolly.  McLoughlin  proceeded  to  Fort  Vancouver.  His 
object  in  leaving  Douglas  in  the  north  was  to  give  him  an  opportunity 
of  becoming  familiar,  in  the  most  minute  detail,  with  the  working  of 
the  machinery  of  the  united  companies.  To  this  end  it  was  necessary 
that  he  should  have  experience,  and  first  of  all  in  New  Caledonia. 
From  the  warm  friendship  which  existed  between  Mr.  McLoughlin 
and  Douglas,  the  latter  had  all  the  assistance  and  advice  which  it  was 
possible  to  give  him.  He  was  already  familiar  with  the  ordinary 
branches  of  the  business,  and  as  an  accountant  had  no  superior  in 
the  service. 

HE  BUILDS  FORT  CONNOLLY. — Without  delay,  on  his  arrival  at 
Fort  St.  James,  he  set  himself  to  study  the  condition  of  the  country, 
its  geography,  hydrography  and  topography,  and  the  languages  and 
characteristics  of  the  various  tribes  of  natives  with  whom  he  would 
have  business  dealings.  During  the  four  years  which  he  remained  in 
the  interior  of  New  Caledonia,  he  founded  several  forts.  One  of  these 
was  built  in  18*26,  on  Bear  Lake,  at  the  head,  of  one  of  the  branches 
of  Skeena  River,  and  named  Fort  Connolly,  in  honor  of  James  Con- 
nolly, whose  daughter,  Nellie  Connolly,  a  beautiful  maiden  of  "sweet 
sixteen,"  young  Douglas,  along  with  his  other  duties,  found  time  to 
"  woo  and  win,"  and  who  in  due  time  became  his  wife,  and  latterly 
Lady  Douglas. 

A  TRAGEDY  AT  FORT  ST.  JAMES. — Whilst  at  Fort  St.  James,  a 
tragedy  was  enacted  in  which  Douglas  acted  a  leading  part.  It  is 
described  in  a  book  published  in  1849,  by  John  MacLeari,  who  had 
been  in  the  service  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  for  twenty-five  years, 
He  states  that  the  interpreter,  named  Waccan,  informed  him  that 
w^hen  Fort  St.  James  was  under  the  command  of  Douglas,  a  native 
from  Fraser  Lake  had  murdered  one  of  the  Company's  servants.  The 
murderer  concealed  himself  for  some  time,  but  110  notice  having  been 
taken  of  the  affair,  he  thought  there  was  nothing  to  fear,  and  returned 
to  his  village.  At  length  he  was  led  by  his  evil  genius  to  visit  the 
Indian  village  at  Stuart  Lake.  Douglas  heard  of  his  being  there, 


136  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

-and  though  he  had  but  a  weak  garrison,  determined  that  the  blood  of 
the  white  man  should  not  be  unavenged.  The  opportunity  was 
favorable,  as  the  Indians  of  the  village  were  out  on  a  hunting  excur- 
sion, and  the  murderer  was  nearly  alone.  He  proceeded  to  the  camp, 
accompanied  by  two  of  his  men,  and  "  slew  "  the  murderer. 

INDIAN  STRATAGEM. — On  their  return  in  the  evening  the  Indians 
learned  what  had  happened.  A  council  was  held,  and  it  was  decided 
that  they  should  retaliate.  Aware,  however,  that  Douglas  was  on 
•his  guard,  and  that  the  gates  were  shut  and  could  not  be  forced,  they 
resolved  to  employ  Indian  stratagem.  The  old  chief  accordingly 
proceeded  to  the  fort  alone,  and,  knocking  at  the  gate,  desired  to  be 
•admitted,  which  was  permitted.  He  immediately  stated  the  object  of 
liis  visit,  saying  a  deed  had  been  done  in  their  village  which  subjected 
liimself  and  his  people  to  a  heavy  responsibility  to  the  relatives  of  the 
dead  ;  that  he  feared  the  consequences,  and  hoped  that  a  present 
would  be  made  to  satisfy  them. 

DOUGLAS  OUTWITTED. — Continuing  to  converse  thus  calmly, 
Douglas  was  led  to  believe  that  the  matter  could  easily  be  arranged. 
Another  knock  was  now  heard  at  the  gate.  "  It  is  my  brother,"  said 
the  chief,  "you  may  open  the  gate;  he  told  me  he  intended  to  come 
-and  hear  what  you  had  to  say  on  this  business."  The  gate  was 
•opened,  and  in  rushed  the  whole  Nekasly  tribe ;  the  chief's  brother 
at  their  head.  The  men  of  the  fort  were  overpowered  ere  they  had 
time  to  stand  on  their  defence.  Douglas,  however,  seized  a  wall-piece 
that  was  mounted  in  the  hall,  and  was  about  to  discharge  it  on  the 
crowd  that  was  pouring  in  upon  him,  when  the  chief  seized  him  by 
the  arms  and  held  him  fast. 

THE  INTERPRETER'S  WIFE. — For  an  instant  his  life  was  in  the 
utmost  peril,  surrounded  by  thirty  or  forty  Indians ;  their  knives 
drawn,  and  brandishing  them  over  his  head  with  frantic  gestures,  and 
calling  out  to  the  chief  :  "Shall  we  strike  1  shall  we  strike  ?"  The 
chief  hesitated  ;  and  at  this  critical  moment  the  interpreter's  wife 
stepped  forward  and,  by  her  presence  of  mind,  saved  him  and  the 
establishment. 

Observing  one  of  the  inferior  chiefs,  who  had  always  professed  the 
greatest  friendship  for  the  whites,  standing  in  the  crowd,  she 
addressed  herself  to  him,  exclaiming  :  "  What,  you  a  friend  of  the 
whites,  and  not  say  a  word  in  their  behalf  at  such  a  time  as  this  ! 
Speak  !  you  know  the  murderer  deserved  to  die ;  according  to  your 
own  laws  the  deed  was  just;  it  is  blood  for  blood.  The  white 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  137 

men  are  not  dogs,  they  love  their  kindred  as  well  as  you  do; 
why  should  they  not  avenge  their  murdered."  The  moment  the 
heroine's  voice  was  heard  the  tumult  subsided  ;  her  boldness  struck 
the  savages  with  awe.  The  chief  she  addressed,  acting  on  her 
suggestion,  interfered,  and  being  seconded  by  the  old  chief,  who  had 
no  serious  intention  of  injuring  the  whites,  was  satisfied  with 
showing  them  they  were  fairly  in  his  power.  Mr.  Douglas  and  his 
men  were  set  at  liberty,  and  an  amicable  conference  having  taken 
place,  the  Indians  departed  much  elated  with  the  issue  of  their 
enterprise. 

HAIRBREADTH  ESCAPES. — The  duties  attached  to  the  service  in 
which  Douglas  was  engaged  in  the  northern  interior  were  severe  and 
often  perilous.  Once  he  was  made  captive  by  one  of  the  tribes  and 
detained  for  many  weeks.  After  enduring  severe  hardships,  he 
contrived  at  length  to  effect  his  escape,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  one 
of  the  Company's  forts  in  an  exhausted  condition.  His  reappearance 
was  hailed  with  mingled  delight  and  astonishment,  for  he  had  been 
.given  up  for  dead.  His  many  hairbreadth  escapes  from  death,  aided 
by  his  coolness  and  courage,  were  often  marvellous. 

McLouGHLix  AND  DOUGLAS. — In  1828vhe  was  transferred  to  Fort 
Vancouver,  that  he  might  there  render  more  immediate  assistance  to 
his  friend  Mr.  McLoughlin,  which  the  increasing  requirements  of  the 
service  demanded.  In  his  new  position  he  rose  rapidly,  and  soon 
stood  second  only  to  his  chief  in  all  New  Caledonia.  At  this  place  he 
had  great  advantages  and  abundance  of  time  to  become  proficient  in 
all  the  minutest  details  of  the  service — not  in  theory  alone,  but  in 
practice.  He  revised  and  greatly  improved  the  system  of  accounts, 
which  required  all  the  trading-posts  on  the  Pacific  to  make  annual 
returns  to  Fort  Vancouver. 

MADE  CHIEF  TRADER,  ETC. — After  being  only  a  short  time  at  Fort 
Vancouver,  lie  was  made  chief  trader  (in  1830),  and  in  1833,  was 
appointed  chief  factor ;  was,  in  fact,  the  chief  agent  for  the  whole 
region  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  greater  portion  of  his 
time  was  now  employed  in  selecting  sites  and  superintending  the 
-establishment  of  trading  establishments.  Annual  visits  of  inspection 
were  made  by  him  to  the  several  stations  in  the  interior  and  on  the 
seaboard.  It  is  recorded  that  "  he  was  fast  becoming  famous  for  his 
geographical  and  practical  knowledge."  In  proceedings  connected 
with  the  Treaty  of  Washington,  he  was  pronounced  "one  of  the  most 


138  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

enterprising  and  inquisitive  of  men,  famous  for  his  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  every  crevice  on  the  coast." 

ALASKA  TREATY. — With  Factors  McLoughlin  and  Ogden  at  Fort 
Vancouver,  and  Douglas,  as  counsellor,  along  with  them,  the  business 
of  the  Company  was  in  a  flourishing  condition.  In  1839,  preparations 
were  made  to  proceed  to  Alaska  to  arrange  a  difficulty  there  with  the 
Russian  Government.  The  Anglo-Russian  Treaty  of  1825,  already 
mentioned,  provided  for  the  free  navigation  of  streams  crossing 
Russian  territory  in  their  course  from  the  British  possessions  to  the 
ocean.  Taking  advantage  of  that  proviso,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
had  pushed  forward  their  trading-posts  to  the  Stickeen  River.  In 
1833,  they  fitted  out  the  brig  Dryad  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
permanent  station  on  that  river. 

RUSSIAN  FUR  COMPANY. — Information  of  these  proceedings  having 
been  conveyed  to  Governor  Wrangel,  at  Sitka,  he  notified  the  man- 
agers of  the  Russian  Fur  Company,  at  St.  Petersburg,  asking  them 
to  induce  the  Imperial  Government  to  rescind  the  clause  in  the  treaty 
under  which  the  British  Company  encroached  on  Russian  territory. 
As  a  further  motive  for  this  request,  the  governor  reported  that  the 
British  Company  had  violated  the  agreement  to  abstain  from  selling 
firearms  and  spirituous  'liquor  to  the  natives.  The  Emperor  granted 
the  petition,  and  the  British  and  United  States  Governments  were 
notified  of  the  fact.  Both  protested  through  their  ministers  at  St. 
Petersburg,  but  in  vain ;  the  reply  of  the  Russian  foreign  office 
being  that  the  objectionable  clause  would  terminate  in  the  following 
year. 

RUSSIAN  MANOEUVRES. — Without  waiting  to  be  informed  of  the 
success  or  failure  of  his  application,  Baron  Wrangel  despatched  two 
armed  vessels  to  the  mouth  of  the  Stickeen  River.  There,  on  a  small 
peninsula,  a  fortified  station  was  established.  The  fort  was  built  on 
the  site  of  an  Indian  village,  near  the  town  of  Wrangel.  These  war- 
like preparations  were  unknown  to  the  officials  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  and  when  the  Dryad  approached  the  mouth  of  the  Stickeen, 
the  men  on  deck  were  surprised  by  a  puff  of  white  smoke  and  a  loud 
report  from  the  densely  wooded  shore,  followed  by  several  shots  from  a 
vessels  in  the  offing.  The  brig  was  at  once  put  about,  but  anchored 
just  out  of  range  ;  whereupon  a  boat  was  sent  from  shore,  carrying 
an  officer  who,  in  the  name  of  the  Governor  of  the  Russian  colonies 
and  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  protested  against  the  entrance  of  a 
British  vessel  into  a  river  belonging  to  Russian  territory.  All 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  1391 

appeals  on  the  part  of  Hudson  Bay  Company's  agents  were  ineffec- 
tual. They  were  informed  tint  if  they  desired  to  save  themselves, 
their  property  and  their  vessel,  they  must  weigh  anchor  at  once. 
After  a  brief  delay,  the  Dryad  sailed  for  Fort  Vancouver. 

CONVENTION  IN  1839. — The  authorities  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
lost  no  time  in  sending  reports  of  this  affair  to  London,  accompanied 
with  a  statement  that  the  loss  incurred  through  this  interference  with 
their  project  amounted  to  £20,000  sterling.  The  British  Govern- 
ment immediately  demanded  satisfaction  from  Russia,  but  the  matter 
was  not  finally  settled  until  1839,  when  a  convention  met  in  London 
to  settle  the  points  of  dispute  between  the  two  corporations,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  solved  difficulties  which  experienced  diplomatists  had 
failed  to  unravel  in  years.  The  claim  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  was 
waived  on  the  condition  that  the  Russian  CoYnpany  grant  a  lease  to 
the  former  of  all  their  continental  territory  lying  between  Cape 
Spencer  and  latitude  54°  40'.  The  annual  rental  was  fixed  at 
two  thousand  land-otter  skins,  and  at  the  same  time  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  agreed  to  supply  the  Russian  colony  with  a  large  quantity 
of  provisions  at  moderate  rates.  The  agreement  gave  satisfaction  to 
both  parties.  At  the  end  of  the  term  first  agreed  on,  the  lease  was 
renewed  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  and  twice  afterwards  for  periods 
of  four  years. 

AN  ARMED  FLEET. — Extensive  farming  operations  and  stock-raising 
were  being  carried  on  in  Williamette  valley  by  this  time;  settlements 
were  also  commenced  at  The  Dalles,  Walla  Walla,  Clearwater  and 
Spokane.  '  Trade  and  the  coast  service  had  so  increased  that  five 
vessels  were  required  for  the  traffic.  They  were  :  The  bark  Columbia, 
310  tons,  6  guns  and  24  men  ;  the  bark  Vancouver,  324  tons,  6 
guns,  24  men;  ship  Nerid,  283  tons,  10  guns,  26  men;  schooner 
Cadboro,  71  tons,  4  guns,  12  men;  and  steamer  Beaver,  109  tons,  5 
guns,  26  men.  The  Beaver  was  the  first  steamer  on  the  Pacific 
coast ;  built  at  Blackwall,  London,  in  1835  ;  reached  the  Columbia 
River,  round  Cape  Horn,  as  a  sailing  vessel,  in  1836  ;  had  machinery 
fitted  in,  and  was  in  Puget  Sound  in  1837.  This  fleet  being  armed 
and  equipped  for  defence,  constituted  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's 
navy. 

SETTLERS  ARRIVING. — New  Caledonia  and  the  Oregon  region  were 
as  yet  undivided,  but  the  time  had  arrived  when  settlers  from  the 
east  began  to  come  in.  The  boundary  question  between  the  north 
and  the  south  was  agitated  and  discussed.  The  advent  of  settlers 


140  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

was  a  cause  of  uneasiness  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  Although 
settlement  was  inimical  to  their  interests  as  fur  traders,  they  were 
powerless  to  prevent  it.  The  chief  factor,  McLoughlin,  being  a  man 
of  humane  disposition,  befriended  the  immigrants  in  many  instances, 
and  was  blamed  for  so  doing  by  the  directors  of  the  Company  in 
London.  The  incoming  settlers  to  Oregon  were  of  a  class  totally 
different  from  any  McLoughlin  had  hitherto  seen.  Many  of  them 
were  conscientious  and  honest.  Most  of  them  were  pecuniarily  irre- 
sponsible ;  too  many  were  unreliable  in  their  word,  and  some  few 
were  downright  dishonest. 

BANCROFT  MORALIZES. — Moralizing  on  the  character  of  the  two 
great  leaders,  McLoughlin  and  Douglas,  Bancroft  says  :  "  Douglas 
would  satisfy  the  requirements  of  a  merciless  corporation  better  than 
McLoughlin  ;  for  McLobghlin's  duty  was  always  on  the  side  of 
-charity,  while  the  charity  of  Douglas  was  made  subservient  to  duty. 
In  guile,  McLoughlin  was  an  infant ;  in  everything  covert  or  cun- 
ning he  was  unsophisticated.  He  had  spent  his  life,  or  at  least  the 
greater  part  of  it,  among  responsible  men  whose  words  were  single, 
whose  assurances  signified  something.  They  were  business  associates, 
business  brethren,  strict  in  their  dealings,  slower  to  promise  than 
to  perform.  Thus  the  cold,  keen  world  and  the  darkest  side  of 
humanity  had  remained  hidden  from  him.  He  had  not  found  it  in 
the  forest  or  the  camp.  In  the  singleness  and  noble  purity  of  his 
soul,  he  could  not  but  believe  that  most  men  were  honest  ;  he  could 
not  believe  that  men  are  as  bad  as  they  are,  and  lie  never  regretted 
.having  befriended  the  unfortunate.  To  the  end  he  was  gentle  and 
tolerant,  though  his  sensitiveness  to  ingratitude  and  wrong  was  often 
manifest.  .  .  .  Neither  Douglas  nor  McLoughlin  ever  did  a  base 
or  ignoble  act ;  and  side  by  side,  even  as  in  life  they  were  so  often 
found,  their  names  shall  forever  stand  unsullied  in  the  annals  of  the 
.great  North- West." 

FARMERS  BROUGHT  OUT. — For  the  encouragement  and  develop- 
ment of  trade  as  well  as  to  hold  land  convenient  to  the  trading- 
posts,  and  to  furnish  supplies  for  the  Russian  Fur  Company,  the 
settlements  formerly  mentioned  were  opened.  In  1839,  English  and 
Scotch  farmers  were  brought  from  Canada,  across  the  mountains,  and 
placed  in  most  favorable  places.  French-Canadians  and  half-breeds 
retiring  from  the  service  of  the  Company,  were  encouraged  to  settle 
on  those  lands,  which  could  be  had  free  of  cost.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Vancouver,  the  areas  of  agriculture  were  soon  greatly  enlarged, 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  141 

and  grist  mills  erected  for  the  several  grades  of  flour  required  for  the- 
Russian-American  trade.  More  sheep  and  cattle  were  being  driven 
north  from  California,  and  swine  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  were 
imported.  They  increased  rapidly.  The  plains  near  Fort  Nisqually 
were  turned  into  sheep  and  cattle  ranges,  and  the  Puget  Sound  Agri- 
cultural Company  was  inaugurated.  Hence,  it  was  not  long  before 
wheat,  flour,  butter,  pork  and  other  articles  in  large  quantities  were 
ready  for  shipment  to  the  Russian  ports  on  the  Alaskan  coast  and 
also  on  the  Asiatic  coast.  Four  barks,  of  eight  hundred  tons  each, 
were  built  in  London  for  the  exportation  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  produce. 

THE  BOUNDARY  QUESTION. — In  the  midst  of  all  this  stir  and  exten- 
sion of  trade  and  traffic,  the  Company  did  not  lose  sight  of  the 
approach  of  the  partition  of  the  territory  which  was  inevitably  drawing; 
nigh.  The. joint  occupancy  must  cease  ;  and  to  be  safe,  it  was  decided 
that  another  fort  should  be  erected,  to  be  used  instead  of  Fort  Van- 
couver, as  headquarters  of  the  Company  if  necessary.  If  the  decision. 
of  the  Governments  should  be  that  the  international  boundary  would 
be  the  extension  of  that  on  the  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on  the 
49ih  parallel  of  latitude,  it  would  then  be  necessary  to  have  the 
location  of  the  new  fort  north  of  that  line,  and  also  convenient  to  the 
sea-going  trade,  as  well  as  to  accommodate  the  trade  of  the  interior.. 
The  Columbia  River  could  no  longer  be  used  as  the  main  artery  of 
travel. 

DOUGLAS  PROCEEDS  TO  SITKA. — The  island  of  Vancouver  was  chosen 
as  the  most  suitable  place,  after  careful  examination  by  Mr.  Douglas 
and  others.  Preparations  were  made  to  have  the  work  proceeded  with 
as  soon  as  convenient.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Douglas  found  it 
requisite  to  proceed  north  to  Sitka  in  connection  with  the  lease  of  a 
p  rtion  of  Alaska  from  the  Russians,  to  take  possession  of  the  trading 
post  at  Stickeen  River,  and  the  building  of  another  post  on  the  Taku 
River,  all  in  Russian  territory.  A  party  was  organized,  leaving  Fort 
Vancouver,  to  proceed  overland  to  Puget  Sound,  where  they  were  to- 
take  the  steamer  Beaver.  Douglas,  who  had  been  made  a  chief  factor 
in  1833,  was  the  leader  of  the  expedition. 

A  NOBLK  ACT. — An  incident  occurred,  as  the  party  were  fording 
the  Nisqually  River,  which  was  then  swollen  (April,  1840).  It  is 
narrated  by  Bancroft,  and  illustrates  the  character  of  Douglas.  He 
introduces  the  occurrence  by  the  remark:  "There  is  something  sub- 


142  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

lime  in  that  quality  inherent  in  noble  natures  which  cannot  overlook 
a  duty,  even  though  its  performance  leads  to  death."  It  appears  that 
Lassertes,  the  man  foremost  in  crossing  the  river,  was  by  some  mishap 
swept  from  his  horse,  and  carried  some  distance  down  the  river.  Just 
before  reaching  a  drift  of  logs  and  debris,  under  and  through  which 
the  furious  water  was  surging,  threatening  instant  destruction  to  any 
on  whom  it  might  once  lay  its  grasp,  he  caught  the  end  of  a  fallen 
tree  and  held  to  it  as  his  only  hope  of  life.  Even  to  those  accustomed 
to  daily  dangers,  and  to  prompt,  unflinching  action  whenever  a 
comrade  needed  help,  the  position  of  Lassertes  was  so  perilous,  the 
destruction  of  whomsoever  should  attempt  his  rescue  so  probable,  that 
the  bravest  of  these  brave  men  drew  back  appalled.  The  air  and  water 
were  so  icy  cold  that  the  limbs  would  be  quickly  benumbed,  and  prob- 
ably render  effort  powerless.  "  Fear  fell  upon  the  company,"  says 
Douglas  in  his  journal  "  Lassertes  was  every  moment  growing  weaker- 
He  was  apparently  a  doomed  man.  The  contagion  weighed  upon  my 
own  mind,  and  I  confess  with  shame  that  I  felt  not  that  cheerful 
alacrity  in  rushing  to  the  rescue  as  at  other  times."  Douglas  saw  that 
if  he  did  not  make  the  attempt  no  one  would.  It  were  easy  enough 
to  hold  back  ;  to  dally  ;  to  seek  for  means  less  venturesome  than  such 
extreme  personal  peril;  that  man's  life  was  not  worth  half  as  much  as 
his  own  ;  no  blame  could  by  any  possibility  ever  be  attached  to  him 
—  let  him  go. 

DOUGLAS  RESCUES  LASSERTES. — Douglas  could  not  do  it.  His 
nature  was  not  formed  that  way.  "  Even  then,"  he  writes  in  his 
journal,  "I  could  not  allow  a  fellow-creature  to  perish  without  an 
effort  to  save  him,  while  the  inactivity  of  all  present  was  an  additional 
incentive  to  redouble  my  own  exertions.  With  a  sensation  of  dread, 
and  almost  hopeless  of  success,  I  pushed  my  horse  with  spur  and  whip 
nearly  across  the  river,  sprung  into  the  water,  and  rushed  towards 
the  spot  where  the  nearly  exhausted  sufferer  was  clinging,  with  his 
head  above  water,  to  a  tree  that  had  fallen  into  the  river.  Upon 
its  trunk  I  dragged  myself  out  on  all  fours,  and  great  was  our  mutual 
joy  when  I  seized  him  firmly  by  the  collar,  and  with  the  aid  of  a 
canoe  that  arrived  soon  after,  landed  him  safely  on  the  bank,  where  a 
blazing  tire  soon  restored,  warmth  to  both.  And  to  my  latest  breath 
may  I  cherish  the  remembrance  of  Lassertes'  providential  rescue  from 
a  watery  grave,  as  I  could  never  otherwise  have  enjoyed  tranquillity 
of  mind  " 


THE    FUR-TRADJNG   PERIOD.  143 

RODERICK  FINLAYSON. — Attached  to  this  party  another  historic 
name  should  lie  mentioned — that  of  Roderick  Finlayson.  In  his 
•autobiography  he  states  that  he  was  born  in  Ross-shire,  Scotland,  in 
1818.  His  father  held  a  sheep  and  stock 
farm.  He  left  home  at  the  age  of  nineteen, 
sailed  from  Glasgow  in  July,  1837,  reaching 
New  York  after  a  passage  of  forty  days. 
Through  the  influence  of  a  relative  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  apprentice-clerk 
in  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  After  a 
short  time  at  the  desk  in  the  head  office  at 
Lachine,  he  was  detailed  to  a  station  near 
Ottawa,  where  he  remained  during  the 
winter  of  1837-38. 

RODERICK   F1XLAVSON.  -n 

YOUNG  JMNLAYSON  was  next  ordered  to 

join  a  brigade  in  the  spring  of  1838,  which  consisted  of  four  large 
canoes,  with  forty  officers  and  men  who  were  to  proceed  direct  to  the 
Columbia  district,  to  take  possession  of  a  portion  of  the  Russian 
territory  which  had  been  leased  from  the  Russian  Fur  Company. 
He  describes  the  route  travelled  via  Lake  of  the  Woods,  Lake  Winni- 
peg and  Norway  House.  From  Norway  House  they  followed  the 
Nelson  River  to  York  Factory.  At  the  depot  there  they  remained 
a  fortnight,  replenishing  the  stock  and  preparing  for  the  western 
portion  of  the  journey. 

ARRIVED  AT  VANCOUVER. — The  party  left  York  Factory  under  the 
command  of  Dr.  John  McLoughlin,  then  chief  factor  in  charge  of  the 
Columbia  district — calling  at  Norway  House,  Fort  Carlton,  tfort 
Pitt  and  Edmonton,  on  the  Saskatchewan.  At  Fort  Edmonton  they 
left  the  boats  and  took  horses  across  to  Fort  Assiniboine  on  the 
Athabasca  River,  where  they  again  took  boats  and  worked  mostly  by 
poling  a  steep  ascent  up  the  river  to  Jasper  House  ;  then  again  took 
horses  to  Boat  Encampment,  at  the  great  bend  of  the  Columbia  River. 
Boats  were  here  ready,  and  calling  at  the  various  stations  along  the 
Columbia  River,  the  party  arrived  at  Fort  Vancouver  in  November. 

IN  CHARGE  OF  MILLS. — Shortly  after  his  arrival  Finlayson  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  grist  and  saw  mill  about  five  miles  up  the 
river  from  the  fort,  where  he  had  a  gang  of  twenty  men  to  look  after. 
From  the  saw  mill  were  shipped  lumber  and  spars  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands.  At  this  work  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1840,  when 
he  was  ordered  to  join  the  party  under  Chief  Factor  Douglas,  who  on 


144  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

going  north  at  that  time  rescued  the  man  Lassertes  from  drowning, 
At  the  head  of  Puget  Sound  they  found  the  steamer  Beaver,  Captain- 
McNeill,  in  waiting.  On  the  way  north  they  called  at  Fort  Langley 
on  Fraser  River.  That  fort  had  recently  been  destroyed  by  firer 
which  was  unfortunate,  as  a  supply  of  salted  provisions  were  expected 
to  have  been  obtained  there.  Fort  McLoughlin,  at  Milbank  Sound,. 
was  visited,  and  also  Fort  Simpson,  at  each  of  which  places  furs, 
potatoes,  cord  wood,  etc.,  were  secured. 

FORT  STICKEEN  TAKEN  POSSESSION  OF. — From  Fort  Simpson  they 
proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  Stickeen  River,  where  according  to  previous 
arrangement  they  received  possession  of  the  fort  there,  which  was 
evacuated  by  the  Russians  on  their  arrival,  and  the  British  flag 
hoisted.  After  matters  were  all  satisfactorily  arranged,  Factor  Douglas 
left  eighteen  men  and  an  officer  in  charge,  and  proceeded  along  with 
the  rest  of  the  party  to  Sitka.  There  they  were  most  cordially 
received  by  the  Russian  governor,  Etholin.  A  salute  of  nine  guns 
was  fired  by  the  Russian  vessels  in  the  harbor,  which,  says  Finlaysonr 
"the  Beaver  returned  in  grand  style." 

DOUGLAS  AT  SITKA. — Factor  Douglas  remained  at  Sitka  ten  daysr 
during  which  time  he  settled  various  matters  relative  to  the  future 
trade  of  the  coast  with  the  Russians  and  with  the  native  tribes. 
When  leaving  for  the  gulf  and  River  Taku,  a  parting  salute  was  given 
and  returned.  A  new  fort  was  to  be  erected  and  a  site  selected  on 
the  Taku.  After  considerable  searching  a  place  was  found  about  fifty 
miles  up  the  river  and  a  fort  built,  which  was  named  Fort  Durham 
in  honor  of  Lord  Durham,  then  Governor-General  of  Canada. 

FORT  TAKU  BUILT. — As  soon  as  the  new  fort  was  put  in  a  proper 
state  of  defence,  with  bastions,  etc.,  a  party  consisting  of  eighteen 
men  and  two  officers  was  placed  in  charge.  Roderick  Finlayson  was 
second  in  command.  Before  leaving  Taku  River,  the  Beaver,  with 
Factor  Douglas,  made  several  cruises  to  the  neighboring  inlets  to 
examine  and  understand  more  thoroughly  the  position  and  temper  of 
the  natives,  who  were  inclined  to  be  troublesome.  The  Beaver  then 
returned  to  Nisqually,  calling  at  the  various  landing-places,  and 
trading  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel,  as  was  customary  where  no  posts 
were  established 

NARROW  ESCAPE  OF  FINLAYSON. — Roderick  Finlayson  describes  the 
location  of  the  new  fort  as  being  "as  dismal  a  place  as  could  possibly 
be  imagined.  The  journal  kept  showed  rain  and  snow  for  nine 
months  out  of  the  twelve.  Trade  was  opened  with  the  natives,  but 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  145 

being  fierce  and  treacherous,  only  one  at  a  time  was  allowed  to 
enter  the  gate  of  the  fort.  An  incident  occurred  not  long  after 
the  establishment  of  Fort  Durham  which  might  have  terminated 
fatally  with  Finlayson.  He  relates  that  a  few  years  previously,  a 
vessel  from  Boston  came  to  trade  in  the  neighborhood,  and  had  a 
quarrel  with  the  natives,  in  which  a  large  number  of  them  were  killed. 
According  to  the  Indian  law  of  revenge,  the  natives  agreed  among 
themselves  to  capture  the  fort  and  murder  all  the  inmates.  With 
this  view  a  party  of  warriors  one  day  arrived,  and  one  of  them  partly 
forced  his  way  through  the  gate,  against  the  gate-keeper,  who  was  a 
Kanaka,  or  Sandwich  Islander.  Finlayson  came  to  assist,  and 
succeeded  in  driving  the  Indian  out,  but  in  doing  so  was  struck  a 
heavy  blow  with  a  bludgeon  by  another  Indian.  In  the  heat  of  the 
affray  Finlayson  went  outside  the  gate,  arid  was  immediately  seized 
by  a  party  of  the  savages  who  were  hiding  close  by,  and  forced  a 
distance  from  the  gate.  He  called  to  his  men  inside  to  open  blank 
cartridge  to  frighten  them.  In  the  meantime  Finlayson  managed  to 
get  his  back  against  a  tree,  and  drawing  his  pistols,  kept  them  at  bay 
until  he  gained  the  fort.  For  several  days  the  fort  was  besieged,  but 
the  natives  finding  trade  suspended  came  to  a  parley,  when  it  was 
explained  that  the  man  whom  they  had  injured  was  not  a  Boston  man, 
and  that  they  should  pay  an  indemnity  for  the  outrage.  A  large 
bundle  of  furs  was  brought  and  accepted.  Peace  was  declared  and 
trade  resumed.  Dr.  Kennedy  was  in  charge  of  the  fort  at  the  time 
when  the  contretemps  took  place^ 

'The  Beaver  returned  to  Puget  Sound,  trading  with  the  natives 
at  the  various  villages  en  route.  Factor  Douglas  was  then  of 
opinion  that  the  business  along  the  coast  could  be  more  profitably 
carried  on  by  itinerant  visits  than  by  continuing  the  established  forts. 
This  view  was  apparently  concurred  in  by  Governor  Simpson,  who 
arrived  at  Fort  Vancouver  in  August,  1841,  on  his  memorable 
journey  around  the  world,  overland.  The(  Governor-in-Chief  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  in  the  work  which  describes  the  journey,  gives 
a  minute  description  of  the  tour,  which  partook  of  a  visit  of  inspec- 
tion of  the  trading-posts  of  the  Company  stationed  along  his  route. 
Governor  Simpson  and  party  remained  a  week  at  Fort  Vancouver 
before  proceeding  north  to  Sitka.  Commodore  Wilkes  was  then  at 
the  Fort  in  command  of  the  United  States  exploring  squadron. 


10 


146  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 


PARTICULARS  OF  THE  JOURNEY. 

Reference  may  be  made  here  to  Sir  George  Simpson's  visit  to 
British  Columbia,  in  connection  with  his  memorable  journey  round 
the  world,  in  1841-42.  He  left  England  on  March  3rd,  1841,  and, 
landing  at  Boston,  made  his  way  to  Montreal.  His  outfit  was  com- 
pleted at  Lachine,  the  headquarters  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in 
Canada.  The  expedition  started  from  that  village  on  4th  May; 
on  the  16th  of  the  month  the  party  arrived  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie. 
After  some  detention  by  ice  on  Lake  Superior,  Sir  George  reached 
Thunder  Bay,  and  ascended  by  the  Kaministiqua  to  the  height  of  land. 
He  traversed  the  chain  of  lakes  and  rivers  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
and  arrived  at  Fort  Alexander,  near  the  mouth  of  River  Winnipeg, 
on  June  8th.  On  the  third  day  following,  Sir  George  Simpson  was 
at  Fort  Garry,  having  accomplished  the  journey  of  two  thousand 
miles  in  thirty-eight  days. 

There  was  an  ordinary  trail  from  Fort  Garry  to  Fort  Edmonton. 
It  passed  from  point  to  point  across  the  prairie,  and  was  used  by  the 
Red  River  carts  for  the  transportation  of  merchandise.  It  was  not 
always  in  good  condition,  but  was  easily  followed  along  the  banks  of 
the  Assiniboine  to  Fort  Ellice,  thence  to  Fort  Carlton,  Fort  Pitt  and 
Edmonton.  On  July  23rd,  Sir  George  left  Edmonton,  taking  a 
south-western  course.  He  crossed  Battle  River,  Red  Deer  River 
and  Bow  River.  Ascending  by  a  tributary  of  the  latter,  he  gained 
the  height  of  land  at  the  Kananaskis  Pass,  in  about  50°  30'  latitude. 
Descending  a  tributary  of  the  Kootenay  to  the  main  river  of  that 
name,  the  party  directed  its  course  to  Kulispelm  Lake,  the  source  of 
the  Pend  d'Oreille  River,  which  was  followed  to  the  Columbia. 

Reaching  Fort  Colville,  Sir  George  writes :  l£  Here  terminated  a 
long  and  laborious  journey  of  nearly  two  thousand  miles  on  horse- 
back, across  plains,  mountains,  rivers  and  forests.  For  six  weeks 
and  five  days  we  had  been  constantly  riding,  or  at  least  as  constantly 
as  the  strength  of  our  horses  would  allow,  from  eariy  dawn  to  sunset, 
and  we  had,  on  an  average,  been  in  the  saddle  about  seven  hours  and 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  147 

a  half  a  day.  From  Red  River  to  Edmonton,  one  day's  work  with 
another  amounted  to  about  fifty  miles,  but  from  Edmonton  to  Colville 
we,  more  generally  than  otherwise,  fell  short  of  forty." 

From  Fort  Colville  the  Columbia  was  descended  by  canoe.  The 
travellers  passed  the  Company's  post  at  Okanagan  and  reached  Fort 
Vancouver. 

INTERESTING  VISITS. — Whilst  at  Fort  Vancouver,  Governor  Simpson 
and  party  visited  the  Company's  dairy,  which  was  located  on  an 
island  or  delta,  fifteen  miles  long  by  seven  miles  wide,  formed  by  a 
branch  of  the  Williamette  River.  At  the  dairy  they  found  about 
A  hundred  milch  cows,  which  were  said  to  yield,  on  an  average,  about 
sixty  pounds  of  butter  each  in  a  year.  There  were  also  two  or 
three  hundred  cattle  left,  merely  with  a  view  to  breeding,  to  roam 
about  at  will.  They  next  cr.ossed  the  River  Columbia  and  ascended 
the  Cowlitz  River  in  a  large  bateau,  with  a  crew  of  ten  men.  "  The 
ere**,"  Governor  Simpson  remarks,  "  was  as  curious  a  muster  of  races 
-and  languages  as  perhaps  had  ever  congregated  within  the  same  com- 
pass in  any  part  of  the  world.  There  were  Iroquois,  who  spoke  in 
their  own  tongue  ;  a  Cree  half-breed,  of  French  origin,  who  appeared 
to  have  borrowed  his  dialect  from  both  his  parents;  a  north  Briton, 
who  only  understood  the  Gaelic  of  his  native  hills ;  Canadians  who, 
of  course,  knew  French  ;  and  Sandwich  Islanders,  who  jabbered  a 
medley  of  Chinook,  English,  and  their  own  vernacular  jargon.  Add 
to  all  this  that  the  passengers  were  natives  of  England,  Scotland, 
Russia,  Canada,  and  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  territories,  and  you 
have  the  prettiest  congress  of  nations,  the  nicest  confusion  of  tongues 
that  has  ever  taken  place  since  the  days  of  the  Tower  of  Babel."  He 
further  remarks  that  when  he  "  descended  the  Cowlitz  in  1828,  there 
was  a  large  population  along  its  banks  ;  but  since  then  the  intermittent 
fever,  which  commenced  its  ravages  in  the  following  year,  had  left 
but  few  to  mourn  for  those  that  fell." 

PUGET  SOUND  FARMS. — At  the  landing-place,  about  sixty  miles 
from  Puget  Sound,  Mr.  Douglas  had  procured  horses  from  the  Cowlitz 
farm,  ten  miles  distant,  ready  to  convey  the  party  to  Puget  Sound. 
"\Yhen  this  tract  had  been  explored,  a  few  years  previously,  the 
Company  established  two  farms  upon  it,  which  were  subsequently 
transferred  to  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Association,  formed 
under  the  Company's  auspices,  with  a  view  to  producing  wheat,  wool, 
hides  and  tallow  for  exportation.  On  the  Cowlitz  farm  there  were 
already  about  a  thousand  acres  of  land  under  the  plough,  besides  a 


148  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

large  dairy,  an  extensive  park  for  horses,  etc.  The  crops  that  season 
amounted  to  8,000  or  9,000  bushels  of  wheat,  4,000  of  oats,  with  due 
proportions  of  barley,  potatoes,  etc.  The  other  farm  was  on  the- 
shores  of  Puget  Sound  ;  and  as  its  soil  was  found  better  fitted  for 
pasturage  than  tillage,  it  had  been  appropriated  almost  exclusively 
to  the  flocks  and  herds,  so  that  then  with  only  200  acres  of  cultivated 
land,  it  possessed  6,000  sheep,  1,200  cattle,  besides  horses,  pigs,  etc. 

NORTH  TO  FORT  SIMPSON  AND  STICKEEX. — After  a  visit  of  about 
a  week  at  Fort  Vancouver,  on  the  6th  of  September,  the  party, 
including  Factor  Douglas,  embarked  at  Nisqually  on  board  the 
Beaver  for  Sitka.  They  took  wood  and  water  near  Point  Douglas, 
where  there  was  a  large  camp  of  about  a  thousand  savages,  inhabi- 
tants of  Vancouver  Island,  who,  Governor  Simpson  states,  periodically 
crossed  the  gulf  to  Fraser  River  for  the  purpose  of  fishing.  A  great 
number  of  canoes  assisted  in  bringing  over  the  wood  and  water  from 
the  shore.  Some  of  the  canoes  were  paddled  entirely  by  young  girls 
of  remarkably  interesting  and  comely  appearance.  The  people  offered 
salmon,  potatoes,  berries  and  shell-fish  for  sale.  Continuing  north- 
ward, the  Beaver  passed  several  villages,  and  was  successful  in  trading. 
Before  leaving  the  northern  end  of  Vancouver  Island,  furs  were 
secured  to  the  value  of  about  five  hundred  pounds  sterling,  consisting 
of  martens,  racoons,  beavers,  bears,  lynxes,  and  both  kinds  of  otters. 
They  were  paid  for  in  blankets,  tobacco,  vermilion,  tiles,  knives,  a 
small  quantity  of  cloth,  and  two  guns.  The  governor  and  party  visited 
and  inspected  Fort  McLoughlin,  and  passing  through  Milbank  Sound, 
reached  Fort  Simpson  in  due  time.  This  fort  was  originally  built  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Naas  River.  It  was  then  a  vast  resort  of  Indians- 
of  various  tribes,  amounting  to  about  fourteen  thousand.  Fort 
Stickeen  was  next  reached,  and  the  party  warmly  welcomed  by  Mr. 
McLoughlin,  Jun.  Between  4,000  and  5,000  Indians,  young  and  old, 
were  then  depending  on  that  fort  for  supplies.  Fort  Taku  or  "  Fort 
Durham  "  was  also  visited.  At  this  time  the  governor  learned  of 
Finlayson  the  difficulty  with  the  Indians.  The  party  remained  there- 
nearly  four  days  weather-bound.  Fully  one-third  of  the  population 
on  that  coast  were  then  held  as  slaves  by  the  tribes,  having  been 
taken  in  war,  but  some  of  them  were  born  to  continue  in  slavery. 
They  were  treated  by  their  owners  with  the  most  wanton  cruelty. 

WELCOME  TO  SITKA. — On  reaching  Sitka  harbor,  the  party  found 
there  five  sailing  vessels,  ranging  between  two  hundred  and  three 
hundred  and  fifty  tons,  besides  a  large  bark  in  the  offing  in  tow  of  a. 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  149 

steamer,  which  proved  to  be  the  Alexander,  from  Ochotsk,  bringing 
a 'vices  from  Petersburg  down  to  the  end  of  April.  Before  coming 
to  an  anchor,  an  officer  came  off,  conveying  Governor  Etholin's  com- 
pliments and  welcome.  Salutes  being;  exchanged,  Governor  Simpson 
and  Mr.  Douglas  were  accompanied  by  the  officer  to  His  Excellency's 
residence,  situated  on  the  top  of  a  rock.  They  only  paid  a  compli- 
mentary call,  and  returned  to  the  steamer  for  the  night. 

VISIT  OF  GOVERNOR  ETHOLIN. — Next  morning,  Governor  Etholin, 
in  full  uniform,  came  on  board  in  his  gig,  manned  by  six  oars  and  a 
•coxswain,  and  was  received  with  a  salute.  After  a  short  visit,  he 
returned  to  the  fort  accompanied  by  Governor  Simpson  and  Mr. 
Douglas — the  fort  and  the  Beaver  exchanging  salutes  simultaneously. 
The  visitors  then  had  the  honor  of  being  introduced  to  Madame 
Etholin,  a  native  of  Helsin<>fors,  in  Finland.  Says  Governor  Simpson, 
"this  pretty  and  lady-like  woman  had  come  to  this,  her  secluded 
home,  from  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  Empire." 

IMMENSE  TRADE. — A  very  large  trade  was  carried  on  between  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  and  the  Russian- American  Company,  of  which 
Sitka  was  the  principal  depot.  At  the  time  of  Governor  Simpson's 
visit,  the  operations  of  the  Company  were  becoming  more  extensive 
than  they  had  previously  been.  Their  exclusive  license  had  been 
extended  for  a  further  term  of  twenty  years  ;  the  direction  was  about 
to  be  remodeled,  and  generally  an  improved  order  of  things  was  in 
progress.  The  return  of  their  trade  is  given  at  10,000  fur  seals, 
1,000  seal-otters,  12,000  beaver,  2,500  land-otters,  and  20,000  sea- 
horse teeth. 

FUR  SEALS. — Governor  Simpson's  remarks  on  the  fur  seal  will 
doubtless  be  interesting  at  the  present  time.  His  views  are  sound 
and  appropriate.  He  says  : 

"  Some  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago  (1810  or  1820),  there  was  a  most 
wasteful  destruction  of  the  fur  seal,  when  young  and  old,  male  and 
female,  were  indiscriminately  knocked  on  the  head.  This  imprudence, 
as  anyone  might  have  expected,  proved  detrimental  in  two  ways.  The 
race  was  almost  extirpated,  and  the  market  was  glutted  to  such  a 
degree,  at  the  rate  for  some  time  of  200,000  skins  a  year,  that  the 
prices  did  not  even  pay  the  expenses  of  carriage.  The  Russians,, 
however,  have  now  adopted  nearly  the  same  plan  as  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  pursues  in  recruiting  any  of  its  exhausted  districts,  killing 
only  a  limited  number  of  such  males  as  have  attained  their  full 
growth,  on  a  plan  peculiarly  applicable  to  the  fur  seal,  inasmuch  as 
its  habits  render  the  system  of  husbanding  the  stock  as  easy  and 
certain  as  that  of  destroying  it. 


150  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

"  In  the  month  of  May,  with  something  like  the  regularity  of  an 
almanac,  the  fur  seals  make  their  appearance  at  the  island  of  St.  Paul, 
one  of  the  Aleutian  group.  Each  old  male  brings  a  herd  of  females, 
under  his  protection,  varying  in  number,  according  to  his  size  and 
strength ;  the  weaker  brethren  are  obliged  to  content  themselves 
with  half  a  dozen  wives,  while  some  of  the  sturdier  and  fiercer  fellows 
preside  over  harems  that  are  two  hundred  strong.  From  the  date  of 
their  arrival  in  May  to  that  of  their  departure  in  October,  the  whole 
of  them  are  principally  ashore  on  the  beach.  The  females  go  down 
to  the  sea,  once  or  twice  a  day  ;  while  the  male,  morning,  noon  and 
night,  watches  his  charge  with  the  utmost  jealousy,  postponing  even 
the  pleasures  of  eating  and  drinking  and  sleeping  to  the  duty  of 
keeping  his  favorites  together. 

"  If  any  young  gallant  venture  by  stealth  to  approach  any  senior 
chief's  bevy  of  beauties,  he  generally  atones  for  his  impudence  with 
his  life,  being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  old  fellow  ;  and  such  of  the  fair 
ones  as  may  have  given  the  intruder  any  encouragement  are  pretty 
sure  to  catch  it  in  the  shape  of  some  secondary  punishment.  The 
ladies  are  in  the  straw,  about  a  fortnight  after  they  arrive  at  St. 
Paul's ;  about  two  or  three  weeks  afterwards,  they  lay  the  single 
fpundation,  being  all  that  is  necessary  of  next  season's  proceedings  ; 
and  the  remainder  of  their  sojourn  they  devote  exclusively  to  the 
rearing  of  their  young. 

"  At  last  the  whole  band  departs,  no  one  knows  whither.  The 
mode  of  capture  is  this :  at  the  proper  time,  the  whole  are  driven 
like  a  flock  of  sheep,  to  the  establishment,  which  is  about  a  mile 
distant  from  the  sea;  and  there  the  males  of  four  years,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  that  are  left  to  keep  up  the  breed,  are  separated 
from  the  rest  and  killed.  In  the  days  of  promiscuous  massacre,  such 
of  the  mothers  as  lost  their  pups  would  ever  and  anon  return  to  the 
establishment,  absolutely  harrowing  up  the  sympathies  of  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  hunters,  accustomed  as  they  were  to  such  scenes,, 
with  their  doleful  lamentations. 

"The  fur  seal  attains  the  age  of  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  but  not 
more.  The  females  do  not  bring  forth  young  till  they  are  five  years 
old.  The  hunters  have  frequently  marked  their  ears  each  season, 
and  many  of  the  animals  have  been  notched  this  way  ten  times,  but 
very  few  of  them  oftener.  Under  the  present  system  the  fur  seals 
are  increasing  rapidly  in  number.  Previously  to  its  introduction,  the 
annual  hunts  have  dwindled  down  to  three  or  four  thousand.  They 
have  now  gradually  got  up  to  thrice  that  amount,  and  they  are  likely 
soon  to  equal  the  full  demand  of  the  Russian  market,  not  exceeding 
thirty  thousand  skins. 

"  Latterly  the  sea-otters  have  again  begun  to  be  more  numerous  on 
the  north-west  coast,  between  latitude  60°  and  65°  on  the  Aleutian 
and  Kurile  Islands,  and  on  the  shores  of  Kamschatka.  To  the  south 
of  the  parallel  of  60°,  they  have  become  pretty  nearly  extinct.  In 
California  in  particular,  where  they  were  once  extremely  numerous, 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  151 

they  were  destroyed  with  unusual  facility,  inasmuch  as  they  were 
generally  found  in  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  and  other  inlets,  whereas 
to  the  northward  they  delighted  in  the  most  exposed  situations  so  as 
to  render  the  pursuit  of  them  a  service  of  danger. 

"  It  was  the  lamented  Cook,  or  rather  his  crews  after  his  death, 
that  introduced  the  sea-otter  into  the  civilized  world.  Though  from 
1788  to  1795,  the  British  shared  in  the  fur  trade  which  their  country- 
men thus  opened,  yet  from  the  latter  date  to  1828,  the  Russians  and 
the  United  States  (Bostons)  between  them  monopolized  nearly  the 
whole  of  it.  Since  1828,  however,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  came 
with  energy  on  the  coast ;  and  now  while  the  Russians  confine  them- 
selves to  their  own  territory,  not  a  single  United  States  vessel  is 
engaged  in  the  branch  of  commerce  in  question." 

TEETOTALISM. — Another  subject  of  importance  occupied  the  atten- 
tion of  the  governors,  namely,  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  in 
trading  with  the  Indians.  The  Russians  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
allowing  it  to  be  used  as  a  medium  of  traffic.  In  the  neighboring 
posts  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  were  in  a  manner  obliged  also  to 
permit  its  use.  It  was  suggested  to  Governor  Etholin,  and  promptly 
acceded  to  by  him,  that  on  or  before  the  last  day  of  the  year  1843, 
both  companies  should  entirely  abandon  the  practice  of  trading 
with  the  savages  in  spirituous  liquors.  They  would  have  fixed  an 
earlier  limit,  had  it  not  been  considered  necessary  that  the  estab- 
lishments would  meanwhile  require  to  be  strengthened,  in  order  to 
provide  against  the  possibility  of  any  consequent  outrages  among 
the  involuntary  "teetotalers"  of  the  coast. 

PERMISSION  TO  MARRY. — The  party  commenced  their  return  trip  to 
Fort  Vancouver  on  September  13th,  calling  at  Stickeen,  where  four- 
teen or  fifteen  of  the  employes  there  asked  permission  to  take  native 
wives.  "  Leave  to  accept  the  worthless  bargains,"  says  Governor 
Simpson,  "  was  granted  to  all  such  as  had  the  means  of  supporting  a 
family.  These  matrimonial  connections  are  a  heavy  tax  on  a  post 
in  consequence  of  the  increased  demand  for  provisions,  but  form,  at 
the  same  time,  a  useful  link  between  the  traders  and  the  savages." 
Calling  at  the  various  trading-posts  along  the  route,  and  halting  to 
trade  at  convenient  places,  the  party  reached  Nisqually  on  the  18th 
of  October. 

CHANGE  OF  HEADQUARTERS.— Whilst  at  Fort  Vancouver,  during 
November  and  the  latter  part  of  October,  there  was  ample  time  for 
the  Governor-in-Chief  and  Chief  Factors  McLoughlin,  Ogden  and 
Douglas  to  discuss  the  affairs  of  the  Company.  It  was  then  arranged 
to  establish  a  new  fort  on  the  southern  coast  of  Vancouver  Island, 


152  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

and  make  that  headquarters  instead  of  Fort  Vancouver,  should  the 
boundary  line  be  run  on  parallel  49°  as  was  surmised.  Douglas  was 
instructed  to  make  the  requisite  examination  of  the  locality  and  com- 
plete the  arrangements.  The  governor  was  fully  acquainted  with  the 
details  of  the  vast  trade  which  had  grown  up  to  the  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  He  had  visited  the  neighboring  settlements,  and  saw 
the  encroachments  which  the  colonists  from  the  east  were  making,  and 
the  changes  which  must  take  place  in  the  fur  trade  by  their  advent. 

FORT  VANCOUVER  DESCRIBED. — The  Company's  grand  depot  (Fort 
Vancouver)  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  Governor  Simpson  describes 
as  "  situated  about  ninety  miles  from  the  sea,  the  Columbia  in  front 
of  it  being  about  one  mile  in  width.  Within  an  oblong  enclosure  of 
upwards  of  six  hundred  feet  by  two  hundred,  which  is  surrounded  by 
pickets,  there  are  contained  several  houses,  stores,  magazines, 
granaries,  work-shops,  etc.,  while  the  dwellings  of  the  servants,  the 
stables,  the  hospital,  etc.,  form  a  little  village  on  the  outside  of  the 
walls.  The  people  of  the  establishment,  besides  officers  and  native 
laborers,  vary  in  number,  according  to  the  season  of  the  year,  from 
one  hundred  and  thirty  to  two  hundred.  They  consist  of  Canadians, 
Sandwich  Islanders,  Europeans  and  half-breeds,  and  among  them  are 
agriculturalists,  voyagers,  blacksmiths,  tinsmiths,  carpenters,  masons, 
tailors,  shoemakers,  etc.  Their  weekly  rations  are  usually  twenty- 
one  pounds  of  salted  salmon  and  one  bushel  of  potatoes  for  each  man  ; 
and  in  addition  to  fish,  also  venison  and  wild  fowl,  with  occasionally 
a  little  beef  and  pork. 

THE  RISING  GENERATION. — "Most  of  the  men  are  married  to 
aboriginal  or  half-breed  women  ;  and  the  swarms  of  children  in  the 
little  village  already  mentioned,  present  a  strongly  suggestive 
contrast  with  the  scantiness  of  the  rising  generation  in  almost  every 
native  village  on  the  Lower  Columbia.  Amid  so  large  a  population, 
the  surgeon  of  the  establishment  finds  ample  employment ;  to  the 
hospital,  already  mentioned,  the  most  serious  cases  are  removed, 
seldom  exceeding  eight  or  ten  in  number,  and  generally  consisting  of 
fevers,  fractures  and  neglected  syphilis. 

LARGK  FARMS  IN  1841. — "The  farm  of  Fort  Vancouver  contains 
upwards  of  twelve  hundred  acres  under  cultivation,  which  have  this 
year  (1841)  produced  four  thousand  bushels  of  wheat,  three  thousand 
five  hundred  of  barley,  oats  and  pease,  and  a  very  large  quantity  of 
potatoes  and  other  vegetables.  The  wheat,  which  has  yielded  ten 
returns,  is  of  very  fine  quality,  weighing  from  65  to  68J  Ibs.  per 


THE    FUR-TKADING    PERIOD.  153 

bushel.  There  are,  moreover,  fifteen  hundred  sheep,  and  between 
four  and  five  hundred  head  of  cattle." 

WILLIAMETTE  SETTLEMENT.  —  At  the  time  of  Governor  Simpson's 
visit,  the  Wilhamette  settlement  extended  from  the  Falls  for  a 
considerable  distance  up  both  banks  of  the  stream,  containing  about 
.a  hundred  and  twenty  farms,  varying  in  size  from  a  hundred  to  five 
hundred  acres  each.  The  produce  that  season  was  about  thirty-five 
thousand  bushels  of  excellent  wheat,  with  due  proportion  of  oats, 
barley,  pease,  potatoes,  etc.  The  cattle  were  three  thousand,  the 
horses  two  thousand  five  hundred,  and  the  hogs  an  indefinite 
multitude. 

SUPPLIES  FROM  THE  HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY. — The  settlement  was 
begun  about  the  year  1839,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  as  a  retreat  for  its  retiring  servants.  These  were 
principally  French-Canadians,  with  their  half  breed  families  ;  there 
were,  in  1841,  sixty-five  new  settlers  from  the  United  States,  most  of 
them  with  wives  and  children.  The  whole  population,  therefore, 
-amounted  to  about  five  hundred  souls,  besides  about  a  thousand 
natives  of  all  ages,  who  had  been  domesticated  as  agricultural 
servants.  Of  wheat,  the  Company  purchased  from  the  settlers  that 
year  four  thousand  bushels ;  and  from  the  Company  every  settler 
received  his  supplies  of  imported  goods  at  prices  not  much  higher 
than  those  paid  by  their  own  servants. 

GOVERNOR  SIMPSON  RESUMES  His  JOURNEY. — On  the  30th  of 
November,  Governor  Simpson  left  Fort  Vancouver  to  proceed  on  his 
journey  around  the  world.  The  bark  Cowlitz  was  in  readiness  to 
convey  him  first  to  California,  then. to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
thence  back  to  Sitka.  From  Sitka  he  was  to  sail  for  Russia  in 
Europe,  and  to  St.  Petersburg  and  London.  On  embarking  on  the 
Cowlitz,  Governor  Simpson  moralizing,  says:  "Hitherto  I  had,  with 
few  exceptions,  traversed  scenes  which,  to  say  nothing  of  their 
comparative  barrenness  of  interest,  were  either  in  themselves  familiar 
to  me  or  differed  only  in  degree  from  such  as  were  so.  But  from 
Astoria  my  every  step  would  impart  the  zest  of  novelty  to  objects 
essentially  attractive  and  important.  In  California  I  had  before  me 
a  fragment  of  the  grandest  of  colonial  empires  ;  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands  I  was  to  contemplate  the  noblest  of  all  triumphs,  the  slow 
but  sure  victory  of  the  highest  civilization  over  the  lowest  barbarism ; 
and  to  Russia  I  looked  forward  with  the  peculiar  feelings  of  an 
Englishman,  as  the  only  possible  rival  of  his  country  in  the  extent 
and  variety  of  moral  and  political  influence." 


154  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 


FORT  CAMOSUN  (VICTORIA)  SELECTED. 

THE  NEW  SITE  DECIDED. — Factor  Douglas,  in  the  early  summer  of 
1842,  made  a  careful  preliminary  survey  of  the  southern  end  of 
Vancouver  Island,  and  found  that  a  more  suitable  place  for  the  new 
fort  could  not  be  found  on  the  coast.  He  reported  favorably  on  the 
site  and  surroundings,  including  Esquimalt,  which  he  said  was  one  of 
the  best  harbors  on  the  coast.  The  report  was  submitted  by  Douglas 
on  his  return  to  Fort  Vancouver  in  July,  and  after  due  consideration 
by  the  factors  and  traders  there  assembled,  it  was  decided  to  commence 
operations  at  that  point  as  early  as  practicable  the  following  spring. 

THE  SANDWICH  ISLANDS. — In  the  meantime  Governor  Simpson  had 
completed  his  visit  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  left  there  for  Sitkar 
where  he  arrived  April  16th.  He  recounts  his  journey  for  the  past 
tive  months  from  London,  and  says  :  "  I  have  threaded  my  way 
round  nearly  half  the  globe,  traversing  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty  degrees  of  longitude  and  upwards  of  a  hundred  of  latitude ; 
and  in  this  circuitous  course  I  have  spent  more  than  a  year,  fully 
three-fourths  on  the  land  and  barely  one-fourth  on  the  ocean." 

FLAGS  HALF-MAST. — As  the  vessel  in  which  he  was  to  proceed  tc- 
Ochotsk  would  not  sail  for  two  or  three  weeks  after  the  time 
expected,  he  determined  to  visit  Forts  Taku  and  Stickeen.  On 
arriving  at  Fort  Taku  he  noticed  the  two  national  flags — the  Russian 
and  the  British — -hoisted  at  half-mast  high,  and  on  landing  was 
informed  of  the  tragic  end  of  Mr.  John  McLoughlin,  jun.,  the 
gentleman  recently  in  charge.  On  the  night  of  the  20th,  a  dispute 
had  arisen  in  the  fort,  while  some  of  the  men  were  in  a  state  of 
intoxication.  Several  shots  were  tired,  by  one  of  which  McLoughlin 
fell.  The  fort  was  thus  deprived  of  its  leader.  There  were  about 
two  thousand  savages  assembled  near  by,  so  the  arrival  of  Governor. 
Simpson  at  that  time,  with  two  vessels,  was  fortunate,  as  the 
garrison  was  in  a  state  of  insubordination.  If  the  fort  which  the 
natives  had  proposed  to  attack  had  fallen,  not  only  would  the  whites, 
twenty-two  in  number,  have  been  destroyed,  but  the  stock  of 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  155 

ammunition  and  stores  would  have  made  the  captors  dangerous  to 
the  other  establishments  on  the  coast. 

FUTURE  GOOD  BEHAVIOR. — A  council  was  called,  at  which  four 
leading  chiefs  appeared.  An  explanation  of  their  intentions  was 
demanded.  They  repudiated  any  design  on  the  establishment  on 
their  own  part;  they  admitted,  however,  that  an  attack  on  the  fort 
had  been  recommended  by  some  rash  youths,  but  had  been  opposed 
by  the  older  and  wiser  heads.  Governor  Simpson,  while  congratu- 
lating them  on  not  having  committed  any  overt  act  of  hostility, 
pointed  out  that  had  they  done  so  they  would  have  been  most 
severely  punished,  both  by  the  Russians  and  by  the  Company.  They 
promised  that  in  future  they  would  so  conduct  themselves  that  they 
and  their  people  would  not  only  merit  the  approbation  of  the 
Company,  but  would  be  security  against  any  attacks  on  the  part  of 
the  neighboring  tribes. 

AN  INDIAN  STABBED. — An  Indian  brawl  was  witnessed  by  the 
Russian  governor  and  Governor  Simpson  from  the  fort  in  the  village 
below,  which  resulted  in  one  of  the  natives  stabbing  the  other  through 
the  lungs  with  his  dagger.  About  a  thousand  savages  turned  out 
with  horrible  yells  to  revenge  the  death.  Governor  Etholin,  on  the 
battery,  endeavored  in  vain  to  appease  the  fury  of  the  mob ;  happily, 
the  approach  of  night  prevented  civil  war.  Nexjb  day  two  slaves 
were  killed  to  atone  for  the  death  of  the  Indian  who  was  slain. 

No  MORE  RUM. — As  this  scene  of  violence  and  the  recent  tragedy 
at  Stickeen  were  clearly  the  result  of  drinking  to  intoxication,  both 
Governor  Etholin  and  Governor  Simpson  then  determined,  on  behalf 
of  their  respective  companies,  to  discontinue  the  use  of  intoxicating 
or  spirituous  liquors  in  trading  with  the  natives.  The  agreement 
formerly  alluded  to  was  entered  into  to  that  effect,  to  come  into 
operation  at  Sitka  from  the  date  of  signature,  and  at  every  other 
post  from  the  day  on  which  it  might  become  known.  The  treaty  at 
Sitka  was  immediately  put  to  the  test.  In  order  to  drown  all 
remains  of  former  animosity,  the  savage  combatants  made  applica- 
tion, as  a  matter  of  course,  without  delay  for  another  supply  of  rum. 
No  doubt  the  miserable  creatures  were  greatly  astonished  to  find  that 
without  their  consent  they  had  been  made  to  take  the  pledge  of  total 
and  perpetual  abstinence.  They  retired  in  sullen  silence,  and  doubt- 
less many  a  grave  council  was  held  on  the  north-west  coast  to  devise 
means  of  removing  the  obnoxious  restriction.  Governor  Simpson 
left  Sitka  on  the  9th  of  May  for  Oohotsk.  The  voyage  occupied 
forty-four  days. 


156  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

The  year  1843  is  a  semi-centennial  mark  in  the  history  of  British 
•Columbia.  In  that  year  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  fort,  Camosun, 
afterwards  named  Victoria,  was  built,  and  formed  the  basis  of  the 
present  capital  of  the  Province.  Just  fifty  years  prior  to  that  time, 
in  1793,  Alexander  Mackenzie  led  his  memorable  expedition  across 
the  Continent  to  the  Pacific  coast,  by  way  of  Peace  River,  through  an 
unknown  country  amongst  tierce  savages  who  had  never  befoie  seen 
a,  white  man.  The  celebrated  Captain  Vancouver  in  that  year  com- 
pleted some  of  his  most  important  surveys  on  the  north-west  coast, 
a  portion  of  which  has  since  formed  the  basis  of  the  Alaska  bound- 
ary question.  In  1893,  the  centenary  of  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie's 
great  achievement  was  celebrated  in  the  city  of  Victoria,  as  already 
referred  to,  and  his  portrait  painted  and  placed  in  the  Pioneers'  Hall, 
to  be  transferred  to  the  Provincial  Parliament  Buildings  now  in 
course  of  erection.  The  Sir  William  Wallace  Society,  of  Victoria, 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  centennial  celebration  and  in  having  the 
portrait  completed. 

A  GLIMPSE  OF  CAMOSUN. — It  having  been  decided  to  locate  a  new 
fort  on  the  southern  end  of  Vancouver  Island,  an  expedition  of  some 
fifteen  men  was  ready  on  the  1st  of  March,  1843,  to  leave  Fort  Van- 
couver, under  command  of  Factor  Douglas.  They  remained  at  the 
Cowlitz  farm  and  Nisqually  for  a  week,  obtaining  supplies,  which 
were  placed  on  board  the  Beaver,  which  awaited  them.  They  left  for 
the  north  on  the  13th,  and  anchored  next  day  opposite  that  which  is 
now  the  outer  harbor.  "  The  view  landwards  was  enchanting.  Before 
them  lay  a  vast  body  of  land  upon  which  no  white  man  then  stood. 
Not  a  human  habitation  was  in  sight ;  not  a  beast,  scarcely  a  bird. 
Even  the  gentle  murmur  of  the  voiceless  wood  was  drowned  by  the 
gentle  beating  of  the  surf  upon  the  shore.  There  was  something 
specially  charming,  bewitching  in  the  place.  Though  wholly  natural, 
it  did  not  seem  so.  It  was  not  at  all  like  pure  art,  but  it  was  as 
though  nature  and  art  had  combined  to  map  and  make  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  prospects  in  the  world. 

THE  ISLAND  LANDWARDS. — "So  park-like  in  appearance  was  the 
region  round  and  back  of  the  harbor  that  the  European  first  landing 
would  scarcely  have  manifested  surprise  had  he  encountered  work- 
men, who,  while  subduing  that  which  was  evil  or  ungainly,  were  yet 
subordinating  art  to  nature,  and  striving  with  their  artificial  changes 
still  to  preserve  nature's  beauties.  The  fertile  vales,  warm  groves, 
and  glassy  slopes  of  the  rolling  plateau  were  intersected  by  serpentine 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  157 

ribbons  of  glistening  water,  and  bound  round  by  rocks  as  smooth  and 
symmetrical  as  if  placed  there  by  design.  These  gave  the  ground  a 
substantial  air  and  a  warning  to  the  encroaching  sea,  as  if  progress 
had  specially  prepared  the  place  and  the  foundations  of  civilization 
were  there  already  laid. 

THE  OLYMPIAN  HEIGHTS  HEAVENWARDS. — "Never  danced  clearer,, 
purer  water  in  the  sunlight  than  that  which  rippled  in  the  coves  and 
bays  around  ;  and  the  Olympian  Heights  from  this  standpoint,  with 
the  glistening  water  for  a  foreground  and  cloud-cut  midway  above 
their  base,  as  they  often  are,  seemed  translated  heavenwards.  Never 
were  mountains  more  aptly  named  than  those  by  the  early  explorer 
Meares ;  and  if  there  be  anywhere  a  spot  on  which  an  American 
Jove  might  fitly  hold  his  court,  it  is  on  these  high,  uplifted  hills, 
their  base  resting  on  clouds,  and  their  white  tops  bathed  in  celestial 
glory." 

A  FORTIFIED  VILLAGE. — The  village  of  the  natives — the  Songhies 
— was  not  visible  from  the  vessel  at  anchor.  It  was  situated  on  the 
western  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  and  about  a  mile  distant. 
They  also  had  a  fortified  place  within  stakes,  enclosing  an  area  of 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square  at  the  head  of  the 
harbor.  This  was  to  protect  them  from  the  fierce  Cowichins,  who 
had  a  habit  of  creeping  down  the  strait  stealthily  in  their  canoes, 
entering  villages  at  night,  massacring  the  men  and  carrying  the 
women  and  children  into  slavery. 

FIRST  SALUTE. — Soon  after  the  Beaver  came  to  anchor,  two  canoes 
were  seen.  On  the  discharge  of  a  cannon  a  swarrn  of  savages 
appeared  on  the  bank,  confusedly  moving  hither  and  thither  like  the 
disturbed  inhabitants  of  an  ant-hill.  No  work  was  attempted  to  be 
done  that  day.  The  night  passed  quietly.  The  following  morning  a 
swarm  of  canoes  surrounded  the  steamer. 

MR,  DOUGLAS  SET  OUT  EARLY  on  the  15th  of  March  to  select  a 
site  for  the  fort  and  to  procure  timber  for  the  building.  On  the  shore 
directly  opposite  the  anchorage,  the  trees  were  short,  crooked  and 
not  at  all  suitable.  He  was  anxious  to  secure  straight  cedar  trees  as 
being  most  desirable  for  pickets,  being  lighter  and  more  durable 
under  ground.  These  had  to  be  brought  from  some  distance. 

FATHER  BOLDUC. — Along  with  the  expedition,  according  to  Bancroft, 
came  a  Jesuit  missionary,  J.  B.  Z.  Bolduc,  who  claimed  to  have  been 
the  first  priest  to  set  foot  on  Vancouver  Island.  On  the  same  day 
that  Douglas  landed,  Father  Bolduc  accompanied  him  to  where  the 


158  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

savages  had  congregated  up  the  channel.  There,  it  is  recorded 
by  the  historian,  "the  priest  was  immediately  embraced  by  six 
hundred  souls,  which  number  swelled  to  twelve  hundred  before  his 
departure.  Men,  women  and  children  all  must  touch  the  hem 
of  his  garment,  all  must  shake  hands  with  him  and  absorb  in 
their  being  some  of  that  divine  afflatus  that  flows  from  the  Lord's 
anointed." 

MASS  WAS  CELEBRATED  on  the  19th.  A  rustic  chapel  was  impro- 
vised— a  boat's  awning  serving  as  a  canopy,  with  branches  of  fir 
trees  enclosing  the  sides.  A  great  gathering  was  there — Songhies, 
Clallams  and  Cowichins.  On  the  24th,  Father  Bolduc  purchased  a 
canoe,  and  was  conveyed  by  Chief  Tsilaltchach  and  ten  warriors  to 
Whidbey  Island.  Next  day  and  the  following  day  he  is  said  to  have 
shaken  hands  with  over  one  thousand  natives,  chiefly  Skagits.  They 
erected  for  him  a  building  as  a  church,  twenty-five  feet  by  twenty- 
eight,  of  logs  which  they  cut  within  two  days.  The  building  was 
lined  inside  with  mats  and  covered  with  cedar  bark.  On  the  3rd  of 
April  the  missionary  left  them,  returning  to  Nisqually,  naively  remark- 
ing, "that,  although  the  heathen  hereabouts  gladly  received  the  Word, 
he  was  not  sure  they  fully  comprehended  it ;  for  when  he  attempted 
to  reform  their  morals  they  straightway  relapsed  into  indifference." 

NATIVE  HELPERS. — Factor  Douglas  having  determined  on  a  site, 
put  his  men  to  work,  cutting  and  squaring  timber,  and  six  of  them 
at  digging  a  well.  He  explained  to  the  natives,  who  had  assembled 
in  considerable  numbers,  "that  he  had  come  to  build  among  them, 
and  to  bring  them  arms  and  implements,  clothing  and  beautiful 
ornaments,  which  they  might  have  for  skins.  Whereat  they  were 
greatly  pleased,  and  eagerly  pressed  their  assistance  upon  the  fort- 
builders,  who  were  glad  to  employ  them  at  the  rate  of  one  blanket 
for  every  forty  pickets  they  would  bring.  The  pickets  were  to  be 
twenty-two  feet  Jong  and  three  feet  in  circumference.  Axes  were 
furnished,  but  to  be  returned." 

MEN  FROM  THE  NORTH. — Having  commenced  the  new  fort,  Mr. 
Douglas  went  north  on  the  Beaver,  trading  along  the  coast  as  he 
went,  to  close  Forts  Taku,  Stickeen  and  McLoughlin.  This  he  accom- 
plished, taking  Mr.  Roderick  Finlayson  from  Fort  Simpson  and 
replacing  him  by  another  officer  ;  Fort  Simpson  was  allowed  to  remain 
intact  as  the  headquarters  of  the  northern  interior,  which  position 
it  yet  continues  to  hold.  Mr4  Charles  Ross  was  in  charge  at  Fort 
McLoughlin  before  it  was  abandoned,  as  above  mentioned. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  159 

THE  RETURN  PARTY,  numbering  about  thirty-five,  arrived  from  the 
north  on  the  1st  of  June,  with  the  stores,  etc.,  from  the  abandoned 
posts.  Not  much  progress  had  been  made  in  building  since  the 
departure  of  the  Beaver.  The  stores  were  yet  without  shelter  on  the 
shore,  but  rapid  progress  was  made  after  the  reinforcements  from  the 
north.  Buildings  begun  were  soon  completed,  the  goods  were  all 
landed  and  stored  in  them  ;  the  men  protecting  themselves  the  best 
way  they  could  until  other  buildings  were  ready  for  their  accom- 
modation. 

ARRIVAL  OF  NATIVES. — From  the  neighboring  islands  and  along 
the  coast,  and  from  the  mainland  the  natives  nocked  in  to  see  the 
work  which  was  being  carried  on.  They  camped  near  the  new  fort, 
and  were  all  well  armed;  but,  being  without  their  wives  and  children, 
were  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by  the  party  engaged  in  building 
and  were  closely  watched.  The  Hudson  Bay  Company's  force  then 
.at  Camosun  numbered  about  fifty  men,  all  trained  to  the  use  of  arms 
and  active,  and  constantly  on  their  guard  against  surprises.  The 
natives  did  not  attempt  any  attack,  but  contented  themselves  with 
pilfering,  which  seemed  to  come  natural  to  them. 

EXPEDITIOUS  WORK. — Three  months  after  the  arrival  of  the  parties 
from  the  north,  the  stockade,  with  bastions  at  the  angles,  and  store 
and  dwelling-houses  within,  was  completed.  The  schooner  Cadboro 
arrived  with  supplies  and  goods  from  Fort  Vancouver.  Charles  Ross, 
the  senior  officer  in  charge  of  Fort  McLoughlin  at  the  time  of  its 
abandonment,  was  placed  in  command,  with  Roderick  Finlayson  as 
second.  Mr.  Douglas  announced  the  new  establishment  capable  of 
self-defence,  and  departed  with  the  Beaver  and  the  Cadboro  and  their 
men  in  October,  amid  long  and  hearty  cheers  from  those  on  shore. 

THE  WINTER  PASSED  without  any  outbreak  or  hostilities.  Unfin- 
ished work  was  proceeded  with  on  the  inside  of  the  stockade,  which 
was  formed  of  cedar  pickets  eighteen  feet  above  ground.  The  enclosure 
was  150  yards  on  each  side,  witli  two  block-houses  or  bastions  at  the 
angles,  and  dwellings  and  store-houses  within.  The  buildings  within 
the  fort  proper  were  considered  complete  during  1844.  This  agrees 
with  Mr.  Finlayson's  autobiography. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  FORT. — James  Deans  describes  the  fort  as  he 
saw  it  in  1853  as  follows:  "The  bastions  were  of  hewn  logs  some 
thirty  feet  in  height,  and  were  connected  by  palisades  about  twenty 
feet  high.  Within  the  palisades  were  the  stores,  numbered  from  one 
to  five,  and  a  blacksmith's  shop,  besides  dining-hall,  cook-house  and 
-chapel.  The  ground,  to  the  extent  of  an  acre,  was  cleared  and 


160 


HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 


THK    S01TH    BASTION. 


enclosed  by  a  palisade  forming  a  square.  On  the  north  and  south 
corners  was  a  tower  containing  six  or  eight  pieces  of  ordnance  each 
(Finlayson  says,  9-pound  ers).  The  north  lower  served  as  a  prison, 
the  south  one  for  firing  salutes.  In  the  centre  of  the  east  and  west 
sides  were  main  gateways,  each  having  a  little  door  to  let  people  out 
or  in  after  hours.  On  the  right,  entering  by  the  front,  or  south  gate, 
was  a  cottage  in  which  was  the  post-office.  It 
was  kept  by  an  officer  of  the  Company,  a  Captain 
Sangster.  Next  in  order  was  the  smithy.  Next 
and  first  on  the  south  side,  was  a  large  store- 
house, in  which  fish-oil,  etc.,  were  stowed  away. 
Next  came  the  carpenter's  shop.  Close  to  this, 
was  a  large  room,  provided  with  bunks,  for  the 
Company's  men  to  sleep  in.  Next  and  last  on 
that  side  was  a  large  building,  a  sort  of  bar- 
racks for  new  arrivals.  Between  this  corner  and 
the  east  gate  were  the  chapel  and  chaplain's  house.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  gate  was  a  large  building  which  served  as  a  dining-room  for 
the  officers  ;  adjoining  this  were  the  cook-house  and  pantry.  On  the 
fourth  side  was  a 
double  row  of  build- 
ings for  storing  furs 
previous  to  ship- 
ment to  England, 
and  goods  before 
taking  their  place 
in  the  trading-store. 
Behind  these  stores 
was  a  fire-proof 
building,  used  as  a 
magazine  for  stor- 
ing gunpowder.  On 
the  lower  corner 
was  another  cot- 
tage, in  which  lived 
Finlayson  and  his 
family,  who  was  then  chief  factor.  On  the  other  side  of  the  front, 
or  west,  gate  was  the  flagstaff  and  belfry.  The  central  part  of  the 
enclosure  was  open,  and  was  always  kept  clean.  Through  this 
enclosure  ran  the  main  road,  leading  from  the  two  gates. 

"  If  a  fort  was  to  be  built  Douglas  would  specify  the  number  of 
men  to  be  employed,  the  tools  to  be  used,  among  which  the  never- 
failing  Canadian  chopping-axe  was  always  promim-nt,  if  indeed  it 
was  not  the  only  one,  if  a  few  augers,  saws  and  chisels  be  excepted. 
Finlayson  had  been  the  pupil  of  Douglas,  as  Douglas  had  been  the 
pupil  of  McLoughlin.  Under  the  influence  of  Douglas,  Finlayson 
had  imbibed  similar  ideas ;  so  that  when  ordered  to  build  Fort 
Camosun,  without  a  single  nail,  he  did  it.  Strange  as  it  may  appear, 


INSIDE    BUILDINGS    AND    BASTION    OK    FORT    VICTORIA    IN    1853. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  161 

houses,  palisades  and  bastions  were  erected  without  the  use  of  one 
iron  nail  or  spike,  wooden  pegs  alone  being  employed." 

THE  VERY  BEST  MEN. — There  is  no  doubt  but  the  site  of  Fort 
Victoria  was  the  best  selection  which  could  have  been  made  on  the 
coast,  not  only  for  fur-trading  purposes,  but  for  subsequent  trade  and 
commerce  when  the  country  became  settled.  A  writer  on  the  subject 
says :  "  The  life  of  a  fur  trader  or  factor  was  one  perpetual  lesson  in 
observation.  To  study  well  the  country,  its  configuration  and  con- 
tents, was  their  daily  occupation.  Hence  the  location  of  the  chief 
city  of  British  Columbia  was  not,  as  has  been  so  many  times  the  case 
in  city  building,  the  result  of  accident.  The  very  best  place  that  the 
the  very  best  men,  after  due  deliberation  and  examination  could  find, 
was  chosen,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  result  of  this  sound  judgment 
their  descendants  forever  may  call  them  blessed.  Those  to  whom  more 
immediate  thanks  are  due  are,  James  Douglas,  John  McLoughlin, 
Roderick  Finlayson,  John  Work,  Anderson,  Tolmie  and  McNeill. 
Governor  Simpson  and  the  London  management  were  only  secondary 
as  to  their  influence  as  to  location.  It  was  the  chief  factors  and 
chief  traders  of  the  day  who  really  determined  matters." 

DOUGLAS  AND  DR.  MCLOUGHLIN. — The  leading  man  among  them 
was  James  Douglas.  His  colleague  and  former  leader,  McLoughlin, 
was  now  in  his  decline.  He  had  been  the  leader  in  North- West  affairs 
for  about  eighteen  years;  but  on  account  of  his  favorable  leanings 
towards  outside  settlers  who  were  arriving,  it  was  determined  by 
the  directors  in  London  that  he  should  retire.  His  mantle  fell  on 
Douglas. 

BANCROFT  ON  FINLAYSON. — The  officer  in  charge  of  the  new  fort, 
Charles  Ross,  died  early  in  1844.  Finlayson,  being  next  officer,  was 
appointed  chief  in  command.  Speaking  of  him  Bancroft  says : 
"Though  always  a  leading  man  in  the  Company  and  in  the  colony,  he 
has  not  been  so  prominent  as  to  have  excited  to  any  general  extent 
jealousy  or  obloquy  by  reason  of  his  position.  Among  business  men, 
among  those  who  have  met  him  almost  daily  for  a  period  of  forty 
years,  or  are  intimate  with  his  course  and  character,  he  is  pronounced 
a  shrewd,  practical,  clear-headed  Scotchman,  who,  though  sometimes 
seeking  office  and  assuming  public  duties,  meddles  little  with  his 
neighbor's  affairs,  but  attends  to  his  own  business,  and  does  it  so  well 
and  thoroughly  as  usually  to  command  success.  Kind,  honorable, 
and  exceedingly  courteous,  showing  himself  by  instinct  a  gentleman 

in  the    highest  sense  of    that   much  misapplied  word,    he  possesses 
11 


162  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

neither  the  genius  nor  the  weakness  of  McLouglilin,  nor  the 
chivalrous  strength  or  the  cold,  calculating  formality  of  Douglas.  He 
is  not  wholly  self  abandoned  in  his  well-doing  like  the  one,  nor 
snow  capped,  by  reason  of  his  moral  or  political  elevation,  like  the 
other.  Being  not  so  great  a  man  as  either,  his  faults  do  not  stand 
out  so  conspicuously." 

STOCK  FOR  THE  ISLAND. — On  the  return  trip  of  the  Beaver,  after 
landing  Factor  Douglas  and  party  from  the  new  fort,  cattle  and  horses 
were  brought  from  Nisqually.  The  cattle  were  chiefly  of  Mexican 
origin  and  were  wild  and  unmanageable.  When  first  turned  loose 
from  the  steamer,  with  head  and  tail  erect  they  darted  hither  and 
thither,  then  plunged  into  the  thicket,  and  it  was  with  no  small 
difficulty  that  they  were  finally  corralled  and  controlled.  In  due 
time,  however,  a  sufficient  number  for  hauling  timber  and  farming 
purposes  were  subdued  and  brought  under  the  yoke,  and,  when  not 
at  work,  were  turned  out  to  graze  along  with  the  horses  and  other 
cattle. 

INDIANS  OBJECT  TO  CATTLE. — This  new  method  of  having  such  work 
performed  by  animals,  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  savages,  should  be 
done  by  women,  did  not  meet  with  their  approval.  In  their  way  of 
thinking  the  women  would  become  idle  and  lazy  and  too  proud  to  work, 
consequently  would  so  fall  in  value  as  materially  to  affect  the  comfort 
of  those  who  might  be  in  possession  of  six  or  ten  wives;  besides,  this 
large,  fat  game,  so  easily  caught,  was  very  desirable.  Their  logic 
was  convincing  to  themselves,  although  the  white  men  had  warned 
them,  under  penalty  of  severe  displeasure,  not  to  interfere  with  the 
civilized  game. 

COWICIIINS  HELP  THEMSELVES. — Temptation  was  too  strong.  A 
band  of  Cowichins,  under  Chief  Tsoughilam,  who  had  come  down  from 
the  north  on  a  plundering  expedition,  had  encamped  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  fort.  They  quietly  helped  themselves  to  some  of  the  best  of 
the  work-oxen  and  lived  sumptuously.  The  fort-builders  having  need 
of  their  cattle,  found  only  the  remains  of  their  faithful  assistants 
with  traces  of  the  carcasses  having  been  conveyed  to  the  Cowichin 
camp. 

Finlayson  despatched  a  message  to  the  chief  demanding  delivery  of 
the  offenders  or  payment  of  the  slain  animals.  The  savage  indignantly 
replied :  "  What,  these  animals  yours  !  Did  you  make  them.  I 
consider  them  all  the  property  of  nature,  and  whatever  nature  sends 
me,  that  I  slay  and  eat,  asking  no  questions." 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  163 

The  messenger  replied:  "These  cattle  were  brought  from  beyond 
the  great  sea ;  they  belong  to  those  who  brought  them,  and  unless 
you  make  proper  restitution  the  gates  of  the  fort  will  be  closed 
against  you."  "  Close  your  gates,  if  yo-i  like,"  shouted  the  chief  in  a 
great  rage,  "  and  I  will  batter  them  down.  Close  your  gates, 
forsooth  !  Think  you  we  did  not  live  before  the  white  man  came  1 
and  think  you  we  should  die  were  he  swept  from  these  shores  V 

COVETOUS  CHIEFS. — Tsoughilam  made  no  idle  threat.  He  calcu- 
lated on  assistance  from  the  chieftains  and  their  warriors  in  the 
neighborhood.  Tsilaltchach,  the  greatest  and  bravest  among  the 
Songhies,  had  watched  many  days,  with  itching  palms,  the  good 
things  carried  in  behind  the  palisades,  and  would  not  scruple  in  the 
least  to  attempt  to  secure  some  of  them.  The  Cowichin  chief  called 
a  council,  and  in  effect  said  to  them  :  "  Reptiles  have  crept  hither ; 
reptiles  with  strange  stings,  whom  it  were  well  to  crush  upon  the 
*  spot,  lest  they  should  soon  overspread  the  whole  island.  The  reward 
of  our  work  may  be  found  behind  the  palisades." 

ADVOCATE  THEIR  RIGHTS. — Tsilaltchach,  the  chief  of  the  Songhies, 
next  spoke  and  said :  "  We  and  our  forefathers  have  lived  in 
happiness  upon  this  island  for  many  ages  before  the  existence  of 
these  strangers  was  known.  We  have  eaten  of  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  have  bathed  in  the  waters  and  in  the  sunshine,  have  hunted 
our  forests  unquestioned  of  any,  and  have  fought  away  our  enemies 
manfully.  Is  all  now  to  be  taken  from  us  1  " 

Another  brave  sprang  to  his  feet  shouting  :  "  We  will  meet  this 
intruder  as  we  have  met  those  of  the  past.  We  can  do  without  their 
trinkets,  or,  what  is  better,  we  can  take  them  without  asking."  A 
deep  grunt  of  applause  went  around  the  council,  and  war  was 
declared. 

WATCH  KEPT.— From  the  messenger's  report  it  was  considered 
necessary  that  within  the  fort  watch  should  be  kept  night  and  day  to 
prevent  surprise.  After  two  days,  a  large  force  assembled  round  the 
fort  to  make  the  threatened  attack.  The  bastions  were  manned. 
Soon  amid  savage  yells  and  terrifying  antics,  a  shower  of  musket 
bullets  came  rattling  against  the  fort,  riddling  the  stockade  and 
rattling  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses.  Finlayson  ordered  that  not  a 
shot  was  to  be  returned,  though  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  he 
could  restrain  his  men.  The  savages  continued  their  fire  for  full 
half  an  hour,  when  seeing  no  prospect  of  surrender,  they  ceased  firing 
to  save  their  ammunition. 


164  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

HE  GAVE  THE  WORD. — Then  the  commander  of  the  fort  appeared 
on  the  parapet  of  the  bastion,  and  beckoning  the  chief  of  the 
Cowichins  to  come  within  speaking  distance,  said  :  "  What  would  you 
do  1  What  folly,  with  your  peppery  guns,  to  think  to  demolish  our 
stronghold  ?  What  evil  would  you  bring  upon  yourselves  ?  Know 
you  not  that  with  one  motion  of  my  finger  I  could  blow  you  all  into 
the  bay  1  And  I  will  do  it,  too.  See  your  houses  yonder  !"  And 
instantly,  upon  the  word,  a  9-pounder  belched  forth,  with  astounding 
noise,  a  large  load  of  grape  shot,  tearing  into  splinters  the  cedar 
lodge  at  which  it  was  pointed. 

THE  INTERPRETER'S  SIGNAL. — The  astonished  and  affrighted  savages 
ran  howling  towards  their  camp,  from  whence  arose  howls  of  despair 
from  the  women  and  children.  No  one  was  injured,  however,  as  the 
terrified  husbands  and  fathers  supposed  they  were.  Finlayson  had 
no  desire  to  hurt  them,  only  to  teach  them  a  lesson.  Before  the 
parley,  and  while  the  bullets  were  falling  thick  around,  he  had  formed 
the  plan  of  training  them  without  doing  them  injury.  He  ordered 
his  interpreter  to  slip  from  the  back  gate  and  run  to  the  camp,  as  if 
escaping  from  a  foe,  and  oh  arriving  at  the  chiefs  lodge,  to  warn  the 
inmates  to  instant  flight,  as  the  fort  was  preparing  to  tire  upon  them, 
and  to  signal  back  to  him  by  swinging  a  handkerchief  when  they  had 
removed.  Hence  no  damage  was  done,  save  the  shivering  to  splinters 
of  some  pine  slabs. 

A  PARLEY  REQUESTED. — Within  an  hour  a  deputation  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  attacking  party  appeared  at  the  fort  and 
requested  a  parley  with  the  white  chief.  FinJayson  told  them  they 
might  come  within  the  stockade,  and  as  a  guarantee  of  good  faith  he 
agreed  to  send  out  two  of  his  men  as  hostages.  The  offer  was 
accepted.  It  was  fully  explained  to  them  how  he  could  destroy  them 
if  he  wished.  To  impress  them,  he  showed  them  his  men  fully 
accoutred,  his  big  guns  and  his  little  guns,  and  powder  and  balls,  and 
knives  and  swords.  He  assured  them  he  only  wished  to  do  them 
good  ;  but  he  insisted  that  those  who  killed  the  oxen  should  be  given 
up  for  punishment,  or  the  cattle  paid  for.  They  preferred  the  latter 
alternative. 

THE  PIPE  OF  PEACE  SMOKED. — Before  nightfall  they  returned  with 
furs  to  the  full  amount  of  the  damages.  The  pipe  of  peace  was  then 
smoked,  and  promises  of  friendship  exchanged.  Thus  the  first  battle 
on  Vancouver  Island,  between  the  whites  and  the  aborigines,  was 
ended  without  bloodshed. 


THE   FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  165 

A  CRACK  SHOT. — Next  day  the  natives  were  anxious  to  see  the 
great  gun  tried  again.  Finlayson  told  them  he  would  give  them  a 
sample  of  hosv  he  could  destroy  canoes,  if  they  would  place  an  old 
one  on  the  water.  This  was  no  sooner  done,  and  the  cannon  trained, 
than  bang  went  the  ball,  and  after  smashing  a  hole  in  the  boat, 
bounded  along  the  surface  of  the  water  to  the  opposite  shore.  This 
increased  their  astonishment  and  respect  for  the  white  man's  power. 

PLUNDER  RESTORED. — Not  long  after  these  extraordinary  events 
in  the  eyes  of  the  savages,  a  tribe  from  Whidbey  Island  came  to 
Camosun  to  trade.  Their  business  having  been  completed,  they 
started  for  their  boats  with  the  goods.  It  so  happened  a  feud  existed 
between  this  tribe  (the  Skagits)  and  the  Songhies  of  Camosun,  so  the 
latter  fell  upon  the  Skagits  and  stripped  them  of  their  purchases. 
The  plundered  party  returned  to  the  fort  and  told  of  their  misfortune. 
Finlayson  ordered  immediate  restoration  of  the  stolen  goods,  which 
was  at  once  complied  with,  and  promises  made  of  better  behavior. 
By  a  judicious  balance  of  power  and  a  few  friendly  presents  to  the 
chiefs,  Mr.  Finlayson  in  a  short  time  obtained  their  confidence  and 
ultimately  their  respect. 

SHIPS  DIRECT  TO  VICTORIA. — The  next  year  after  Finlayson  was 
placed  in  full  command,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  production  of 
food.  The  demand  for  provisions  to  supply  the  Russian  contract 
required  all  the  spare  time  of  the  employes  at  the  fort  to  produce 
them.  The  natives  also  assisted  as  laborers  and  herdsmen,  and 
were  paid  at  the  same  rate  as  whites  for  labor  performed. 
Business  was  progressing  smoothly.  The  new  fort  would  certainly 
soon  become  the  first  depot  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  goods  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  Outward-bound  ships  from  England  now  had 
orders  to  sail  direct  for  this  port,  and  after  landing  here  all  the  sjoods 
destined  for  the  coast  trade,  to  proceed  to  the  Columbia  with  the 
remainder. 

GOODS  VIA  CAPE  HORN. — The  first  vessel  to  enter  Victoria  harbor 
direct  from  England  was  the  Vancouver,  in  1845.  There  were  then 
three  vessels  in  the  Company's  employ,  between  London  and  the 
north-west  coast,  the  Vancouver,  the  Cowlitz,  and  the  Columbia, 
These  ships  made  yearly  voyages,  bringing  supplies  always  twelve 
months  in  advance,  which  enabled  the  forts  to  have  on  hand  from 
one  to  two  years'  supply.  The  coast  trade  was  still  to  be  confined  to 
the  coast  tribes,  but  Victoria  would  soon  become  the  distributing 
point  instead  of  Fort  Vancouver.  At  first  a  few  goods  had  been 


166  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

brought  over  the  mountains  from  eastern  poi  ts,  but  so  difficult  and 
expensive  was  that  mode  of  transport  that  it  was  abandoned,  and  all 
supplies  for  the  western  slope  were  brought  from  England  to  Fort 
Vancouver,  round  Cape  Horn.  The  inland  trade  continued  to  be 
supplied  by  the  old  route  from  Fort  Vancouver,  up  the  Columbia  to 
Okanagan,  Kamloops,  and  Fort  St.  James.  A  change  had  now 
taken  place,  especially  as  far  as  the  coast  supply  was  concerned. 

WHALERS. — Also,  in  1845,  a  fleet  of  five  United  States  whalers 
called  at  Fort  Victoria  for  supplies — the  name  "  Camosun  "  having 
been  changed  first  to  Fort  Albert,  and  then  to  Fort  Victoria.  The 
whaling  fleet  continued  to  call  at  Fort  Victoria  until  the  port  of 
San  Fiancisco  was  established. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE  TERRITORY  TO  BE  DIVIDED. 

OCCUPATION  IN  COMMON  MUST  CEASE. — Outside  pressure  was  now 
being  applied  to  bring  on  a  division  of  Oregon  territory,  the  ownership 
of  which  was  btill  unsettled.  It  was  evident,  as  settlers  were  arriving 
in  considerable  numbers  from  the  United  States  and  elsewhere,  that 
the  country  could  no  longer  be  kept  wholly  as  a  game  preserve.  This 
partnership  or  occupation  in  common  by  the  representatives  of  two 
powerful  nations,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  must  soon  be  dissolved. 
It  was  impossible  to  prevent  settlement  ;  it  was  not  expedient,  nor 
could  it  be  expected  that  the  officers  and  servants  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  would  treat  settlers  as  enemies,  for  they  were,  as  a 
rule,  just  and  humane  men.  But  in  sentiment  and  in  policy,  the 
subjects  and  citizens  of  the  two  powers  were  to  some  extent 
antagonistic.  Still  more  so  were  the 'private  interests  of  the  fur 
company,  who  down  nearly  to  the  time  under  review  had  dominated 
the  whole  territory.  They  knew  it  was  impossible  to  conduct  a 
successful  peltry  business  in  the  face  of  increasing  settlement. 
Hence  their  wisdom  in  making  provision  in  the  dividing  line,  which 
might  not  shut  out  the  Company  from  using  the  Columbia  River  as 
the  principal  channel  of  communication  with  the  northern  interior, 
as  it  formerly  was. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  167 

CAPTAIN  GORDON'S  ARRIVAL. — Her  Majesty's  ship  America  arrived. 
Th'is  vessel  was  under  command  of  the  Hon.  Captain  John  Gordon, 
brother  of  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  then  Prime  Minister  of  Britain. 
The  object  of  the  visit  was  to  obtain  information  regarding  the  coast 
•and  the  country  to  assist  the  British  Government  in  settling  the 
boundary  question  then  pending.  Mr.  Finlayson  was  sent  for  and 
consulted.  It  was  decided  by  Captain  Gordon  not  to  anchor  in 
Esquimalt  harbor,  as  he  wished  to  send  two  of  his  officers  to  examine 
and  report  on  Puget  Sound,  Fort  Vancouver  and  the  Columbia  River 
country.  They  therefore  sailed  to  Port  Discovery,  from  which  point 
Captain  Parke,  of  the  Marines,  and  Lieutenant  Peel,  son  of  Sir 
Robert  Peel,  were  sent  by  way  of  the  Cowlitz  to  the  Columbia,  the 
ship  to  remain  at  anchor  in  Port  Discovery  until  their  return. 

HE  SEES  THE  COUNTRY. — Captain  Gordon,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Finlayson,  recrossed  the  straits  to  Fort  Victoria  in  the  ship's  long 
boat.  He  remained  there  for  two  weeks,  until  his  officers  returned 
from  Fort  Vancouver.  Several  excursions  were  made  on  horseback, 
hunting,  and  to  examine  the  country.  On  one  occasion,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cedar  Hill,  Mr.  Finlayson  mentions  in  his  autobiography, 
they  fell  in  with  a  band  of  deer,  which  soon  disappeared  in  a  thicket, 
to  the  disappointment  of  Captain  Gordon,  who  was  a  noted  deer- 
stalker in  Scotland.  On  their  return  to  the  fort  through  the  partially 
open  country,  with  the  native  grass  as  high  as  the  horses'  knees,  Mr. 
Finlayson  made  the  remark,  "What  a  fine  country  this  is  !  "  to  which 
the  Captain  replied,  •' he  would  not  give  one  of  the  barren  hills  of 
Scotland  for  all  he  saw  around  him."  Officers  Parke  and  Peel 
returned  from  the  Columbia,  accompanied  by  James  Douglas,  and 
%ifter  a  short  delay,  the  America  returned  to  England. 

ROYAL  ENGINKERS. — The  arrival  of  two  Royal  Engineers,  Lieuten- 
ants Warre  and  Vavasour,  at  Fort  Vancouver,  required  that  Mr. 
Douglas  should  return  there.  These  officers  were  commissioned  by 
the  British  Government  to  make  a  special  report  on  the  resources 
and  condition  of  the  country.  They  travelled  across  the  Rocky 
Mountains  along  with  the  annual  express  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany from  York  Factory,  which  that  year  (1845)  was  in  charge  of 
Chief  Factor  Ogden.  Their  report  was  not  very  nattering  to  the 
country  through  which  they  had  passed  ;  indeed,  from  the  waterways 
not  much  could  be  seen  on  which  to  base  a  very  favorable  report. 
Joseph  W.  McKay,  who  then  had  general  supervision  of  the  north 
coast  establishments,  and  who  was  detailed  to  attend  the  British 


108  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

officers  in  their  examination  of  the  district,  to  take  charge  of  bag- 
gage and  provide  animals,  guides,  etc.,  testifies  that  with  regard  to 
the  Cowlitz  district,  and  the  region  between  the  Columbia  and  the 
Straits  of  Fuca,  they  declared  it  should  be  held  at  all  hazards. 

"  FIFTY-FOUR  FORTY  OR  FIGHT." — At  this  time  a  cry  was  raised  in 
the  United  States  of  ''fifty-four  forty  or  fight,"  which  was  interpreted 
to  mean  that  if  Great  Britain  did  not  yield  peaceable  possession  of  all 
the  territory  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  between  the  possessions 
of  Mexico  on  the  south  and  Russia  on  the  north  (by  them  said  to  be 
latitude  54°  40'),  the  United  States  would  fight  for  it.  This  was 
a  game  of  bluff,  and  most  unreasonable,  for  in  the  negotiations  of 
1826,  the  United  States  plenipotentiaries  proposed  that  the  navigation 
of  the  Columbia  should  be  made  free  to  both  parties,  and  conceding 
the  entire  left  bank  of  the  Columbia  River  as  far  as  the  49th  parallel, 
thereby  giving  up  to  them  the  exclusive  possession  of  the  Lewis  and 
Clarke  Rivers,  and  the  intermediate  territory. 

STRONG  LETTER  FROM  SIR  RICHARD. — Sir  Richard  Pakenham,  who 
was  negotiator  on  behalf  of  Great  Britain,  says  in  a  letter,  September 
12th,  1844:  "It  is  believed  that  by  this  arrangement  most  ample 
justice  would  be  done  to  the  claims  of  the  United  States,  on  whatever 
ground  advanced,  with  relation  to  the  Oregon  territory.  As  regards 
extent  of  territory,  they  would  obtain,  acre  for  acre,  nearly  half  of 
the  entire  territory  to  be  divided.  As  relates  to  the  navigation  of 
the  principal  river,  they  would  enjoy  a  perfect  equality  of  right  with 
Great  Britain ;  and  with  respect  to  harbors,  Great  Britain  shows 
every  disposition  to  consult  their  convenience  in  this  particular.  On 
the  other  hand,  were  Great  Britain  to  abandon  the  line  of  the 
Columbia  as  a  frontier,  and  to  surrender  the  right  to  the  navigation 
of  that  river,  the  prejudice  occasioned  to  them  by  such  an  arrange- 
ment would,  beyond  all  proportion,  exceed  the  advantage  accruing  to 
the  United  States  from  the  possession  of  a  few  more  square  miles  of 
territory.  It  must  be  obvious  to  every  impartial  investigator  of  the 
subject,  that  in  adhering  to  the  line  of  the  Columbia,  Great  Britain  is 
not  influenced  by  motives  of  ambition,  with  reference  to  the  extension 
of  territory,  but  by  considerations  of  -utility,  not  to  say  necessity, 
which  cannot  be  lost  sight  of,  and  for  which  allowance  ought  to  be 
made  in  an  arrangement  professing  to  be  based  on  considerations  of 
mutual  convenience  and  advantage.'' 

OTHER  UNITED  STATES  CLAIMS. — The  claims  of  the  United  States 
were  based  on  the  title  of  Spain  to  the  north-west  coast.  The  third 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  169 

article  of  the  convention  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  in  1818,  states  "  that  any  country  that  may  be  claimed  by 
either  party  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America,  westward  of  the 
Stony  (Rocky)  Mountains,  shall,  together  with  its  harbors,  bays  and 
creeks,  and  the  navigation  of  all  rivers  within  the  same,  be  free  and 
open,  for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date  of  the  signature  of  the 
present  convention,  to  the  vessels,  citizens  and  subjects  of  the  two 
powers ;  it  being  well  understood  that  this  agreement  is  not  to  be 
construed  to  the  prejudice  of  any  claim  which  either  of  the  two  high 
contracting  parties  may  have  to  any  part  of  the  said  country  ;  nor 
shall  it  be  taken  to  affect  the  claims  of  any  other  power  or  state  to 
any  part  of  the  said  country,  the  only  object  of  the  high  contracting 
parties  in  that  respect  being  to  prevent  disputes  and  differences 
among  themselves." 

GREAT  BRITAIN'S  ARGUMENTS. — Afterwards  the  United  States 
claimed  :  "The  first  discovery  of  the  mouth  of  the  River  Columbia  by 
Captain  Gray,  of  Boston,  in  1792;  the  first  discovery  of  the  sources 
of  that  river,  and  the  exploration  of  its  course  to  the  sea,  by  Captains 
Lewis  and  Clarke,  in  1805-6,  and  the  establishment  of  the  first  posts 
and  settlements  in  the  territory  in  question."  They  also  based  claims 
on  Fort  Astoria,  which  were  discussed  along  with  the  Spanish  title  at 
great  length. 

The  arguments  in  support  of  the  claim  of  Great  Britain  were  : 
That  the  River  Columbia  was  not  first  discovered  by  Gray  in  1792, 
who  had  only  entered  its  mouth  ;  but  that  it  was  discovered  in  1788 
by  Lieutenant  (Captain)  Meares,  of  the  British  navy;  that  in  1792-93, 
Vancouver  or  his  officers  explored  the  river  for  some  distance  from 
the  mouth,  and  was  the  first  to  make  a  correct  map  of  the  coast, 
including  Puget  Sound  ;  that  the  explorations  of  Lewis  and  Clarke, 
in  1805-6,  were  only  of  that  portion  of  the  Columbia  west  of  the 
rivers  named  after  them,  not  far  from  Walla  Walla  in  latitude  46°, 
and  could  not  be  considered  as  confirming  the  claim  of  the  United 
States,  because,  if  not  before,  at  least  in  the  same  and  subsequent 
years,  the  British  North-West  Company  had,  by  means  of  their 
agents,  already  established  posts  on  the  head  waters  or  main  branch 
of  the  river. 

OREGON  BOUNDARY.  1827. — An  attempt  was  made  in  1827  to 
settle  the  boundary  question.  Great  Britain  was  represented  by 
Messrs.  Huskisson  and  Addington.  The  following  is  a  summary  of 
the  arguments  they  advanced  : 


170  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

"That  Great  Britain  did  not  claim  exclusive  sovereignty  over  any 
portion  of  the  territory  on  the  Pacific,  between  the  42nd  and  49th 
parallels  of  latitude.  Her  present  claim,  not  in  respect  to  any  part, 
but  to  the  whole,  is  limited  to  a  right  of  joint  occupancy  in  common 
with  other  states,  leaving  the  right  of  exclusive  dominion  in  abey- 
ance ;  and  her  pretentions  tend  to  the  mere  maintenance  of  her  own 
rights,  in  resistance  to  the  exclusive  character  of  the  pretentions  of 
the  United  States. 

CONVENTION  OP  1790. — "That  the  rights  of  Great  Britain  are 
recorded  and  defined  in  the  convention  of  1790.  They  embrace  the 
right  to  navigate  the  waters  of  those  countries,  to  settle  in  and  over 
any  part  of  them,  and  to  trade  with  the  inhabitants  and  occupiers  of 
the  same.  These  rights  have  been  peaceably  exercised  ever  since  the 
date  of  that  convention  ;  that  is,  for  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years. 
Under  that  convention,  valuable  British  interests  have  grown  up  in 
these  countries.  It  is  admitted  that  the  United  States  possess  the 
same  rights,  although  they  have  been  exercised  by  them  only  in  a 
single  instance,  at  Astoria,  the  restitution  of  which,  in  1818,  was 
accompanied  by  express  reservations  of  the  claims  of  Great  Britain 
to  that  territory  ;  and  that  the  titles  to  the  territory  in  question, 
derived  by  the  United  States  from  Spain,  amounted  to  nothing  more 
than  the  rights  secured  to  Spain  equally  with  Great  Britain  by  the 
Nootka  Sound  Convention  of  1790. 

UNITED  STATES  DORMANT  SINCE  1813. — "That  whilst,  since  the 
year  1813,  the  United  States  had  not  exercised  any  of  the  rights 
alluded  to,  the  subjects  of  Great  Britain  have  had  for  many  years 
numerous  settlements  and  trading-posts  in  the  territory  in  question  ; 
several  of  these  posts  are  on  the  tributary  waters  of  the  Columbia, 
several  upon  the  main  river,  some  to  the  northward  and  others  to  the 
southward  of  that  river,  and  they  navigate  the  Columbia  as  the  sole 
channel  for  the  conveyance  of  their  produce  to  the  British  stations 
nearest  to  the  sea,  and  for  its  shipment  thence  to  Great  Britain ;  and 
it  is  also  by  the  Columbia  and  its  tributary  streams  that  these  ports 
and  settlements  receive  their  annual  supplies  from  Great  Britain. 

"  That  to  the  interests  and  establishments  which  British  industry 
and  enterprise  have  created,  Great  Britain  owes  protection  ;  and  both 
as  regards  settlement  and  freedom  of  trade  and  navigation,  that 
protection  will  be  given,  with  every  intention  not  to  infringe  the 
co-ordinate  rights  of  the  United  States,  it  being  the  desire  of  the 
British  Government,  so  long  as  the  joint  occupancy  continues,  tor 
regulate  its  own  obligations  by  the  same  rules  which  govern  the 
-obligations  of  every  other  occupying  party." 

THE  CONVENTION  did  not  arrive  at  any  definite  settlement  beyond 
ratifying  the  third  article  of  the  convention  of  1818,  already  quoted, 
and  further  deciding  that  either  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  on 
giving  twelve  months'  notice  after  20th  October,  1828,  might  annul 
and  abrogate  this  convention.  From  that  time  until  1845-46  the 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  171 

Hudson  Bay  Company  continued  to  carry  on  their  extensive  arid 
prosperous  business,  both  in  the  interior  of  the  territory  from  the  far 
north  to  San  Francisco,  without  any  interference,  except  the  advance 
of  settlement  from  the  east. 

OREGON  TREATY,  PASSED  15TH  JUNE,  1846. — Notwithstanding  all 
the  arguments  adduced  by  Great  Britain,  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Oregon  Treaty  was  inexplicably  passed  on  the  15th  of  June,  1846. 
The  first  article  provides  as  follows:  "From  the  point  on  the  49th 
parallel  of  north  latitude,  where  the  boundary  laid  down  in  existing 
treaties  and  conventions  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  terminates,  the  line  of  boundary  between  the  territories  of 
the  United  States  and  those  of  her  Britannic  Majesty  shall  be 
continued  westward  along  the  49th  parallel  of  north  latitude,  to  the 
middle  of  the  channel  which  separates  the  Continent  from  Vancouver 
Island,  and  thence  southerly  through  the  middle  of  the  said  channel, 
and  of  the  Fu.  a  Straits,  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Provided,  however, 
that  the  navigation  of  the  whole  said  channel  and  straits,  south  of 
the  49th  parallel  of  north  latitude,  remain  free  and  open  to  both 
parties. " 

The  second  article  provided  for  the  free  navigation  of  the  Columbia 
River  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  the  British  subjects  trading 
with  them,  from  the  49th  parallel  of  north  latitude  to  the  ocean. 
The  third  article  provided  that  the  possessory  rights  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  and  all  other  British  subjects,  to  the  territory  south  of 
the  said  49th  parallel,  should  be  respected. 

WAR  VESSELS  ARRIVING. — Some  time  elapsed  before  any  attempt 
was  made  to  carry  out  the  terms  of  the  treaty  and  to  mark  out  the 
boundary  line  therein  stipulated.  To  guard  the  interests  of  Great 
Britain  on  the  northern  coast,  several  vessels  were  ordered  to  proceed 
to  Fort  Victoria.  They  were  the  Cormorant,  Captain  Gordon,  not  the 
Earl  of  Aberdeen's  brother,  already  mentioned,  but  another  of  the  same 
name;  the  Fisgard,  Captain  Duntze;  the  Constance,  Captain  Courtney; 
the  Inconstant.  Captain  Shepherd  ;  and  the  surveying  vessels  Herald, 
Captain  Kelletfc,  and  Pandora,  Captain  Wood.  It  so  turned  out  that 
there  was  not  the  slightest  necessity  for  the  appearance  of  that  fleet. 
The  surveying  vessels  made  a  superficial  survey  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca 
and  then  sailed  southward.  The  Cormorant  was  a  steamship. 

CORRESPONDENCE  WAS  CONTINUED  between  the  two  governments, 
relative  to  the  location  of  the  boundary.  Mr.  Crorupton,  the  then 
British  minister  at  Washington,  was  instructed  to  propose  that 


172  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

commissioners  should  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  down 
such  parts  of  the  boundary  line  as  should,  on  consultation,  seem 
advisable.  On  the  13th  of  January,  1848,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Buchanan, 
Secretary  of  State,  a  letter  setting  forth  the  line  from  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods,  as  running  along  the  49th  parallel  of  latitude,  and  the 
ascertainment  of  that  parallel  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  being  an 
operation  of  astronomical  observation,  could  be  accomplished  with  as 
much  precision  at  a  future  time  as  at  present. 

MR.  CROMPTON  SAYS  :  "  But  between  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  and  the 
Straits  of  Fuca  the  line  is  less  distinctly  and  accurately  denned  by 
the  verbal  description  of  the  treaty  by  which  it  is  established,  and 
local  circumstances  render  it  probable  that  if  this  part  of  the  line 
were  not  to  be  precisely  determined,  the  uncertainty  as  to  its  course 
might  give  rise  to  disputes  between  British  subjects  and  the  citizens 
of  the  United  States.  It  appears,  therefore,  to  her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment, that  it  would  be  wise  to  proceed  forthwith  to  take  measures 
for  marking  out  that  portion  of  the  line  of  boundary. 

"  For  this  purpose,  her  Majesty's  Government  are  of  opinion  that  it 
might  probably  be  sufficient  that  each  Government  should  appoint  a 
naval  officer  of  scientific  attainments  and  of  conciliatory  character, 
and  that  those  officers  should  be  directed  to  meet  at  a  specified  time 
and  place,  and  should  proceed  in  concert  to  lay  down  the  above- 
mentioned  portion  of  the  boundary  line. 

"  The  first  operation  of  these  officers  would  be  to  determine  with 
accuracy  the  point  at  which  the  49th  parallel  of  latitude  strikes  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  and  to  mark  that  point  by  a 
substantial  monument.  From  that  point  they  would  have  to  carry 
the  line  along  the  49th  parallel  of  latitude,  to  the  centre  of  the 
channel  between  Vancouver  Island  and  the  Continent;  and  this 
point,  as  it  probably  cannot  be  marked  by  any  object  to  be  perman- 
ently on  the  spot,  should  be  ascertained  by  the  intersection  of  the 
cross-bearings  of  natural  or  artificial  landmarks. 

"The  two  officers  would  then  have  to  carry  on  the  line  down  the 
centre  of  the  channel,  and  down  the  centre  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca  to 
the  ocean.  Arid  this  water-line  must,  as  it  would  seem,  be  deter- 
mined also  by  a  series  of.  points,  to  be  ascertained  by  the  intersection 
of  cross-bearings. 

"But  in  regard  to  this  portion  of  the  boundary  line,  a  preliminary 
question  arises,  which  turns  upon  the  interpretation  of  the  treaty, 
rather  than  upon  the  result  of  local  observation  and  survey.  The 
convention  of  the  15th  of  June,  1846,  declares  that  the  line  shall 
be  drawn  through  the  middle  of  the  'channel'  which  separates  the 
Continent  from  Vancouver  Island;  and  upon  this  may  be  asked,  what 
the  word  'channel'  was  intended  to  mean? 

"Generally  the  word  'channel,'  when  employed  in  treaties,  means 
a  deep  and  navigable  channel.  In  the  present  case,  it  is  believed  that 


THE   FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  173 

only  one  channel,  that,  namely,  which  was  laid  down  by  Vancouver 
in  his  chart — has  in.  this  part  of  the  gulf,  been  hitherto  surveyed  and 
used  ;  and  it  seems  natural  to  suppose  that  the  negotiators  of  the 
Oregon  convention,  in  employing  the  word  '  channel/  had  that  par- 
ticular channel  in  view. 

"  If  this  construction  be  mutually  adopted,  no  preliminary  difficulty 
will  exis*-,  and  the  commissioners  will  only  have  to  ascertain  the 
course  of  the  line  along  the  middle  of  that  channel,  and  along  the 
middle  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca  down  to  the  sea. 

"  It  is  indeed  to  be  wished  that  this  arrangement  should  be  agreed 
upon  by  the  two  governments,  because  otherwise  much  time  might 
be  wasted  in  surveying  the  various  intricate  channels  formed  by 
the  numerous  islets  which  lie  between  Vancouver  Island  and  the 
mainland,  and  some  difficulty  might  arise  in  deciding  which  of  those 
channels  ought  to  be  adopted  for  the  dividing  boundary. 

"  The  main  channel,  marked  in  Vancouver's  map,  is  indeed  some- 
what nearer  to  the  Continent  than  to  Vancouver  Island,  and  its 
adoption  would  leave  on  the  British  side  of  the  line  rather  more  of 
those  small  islets  with  which  that  part  of  the  gulf  is  studded  than 
would  remain  on  the  United  States  side.  But  these  islets  are  of 
little  or  no  value,  and  the  only  large  and  valuable  island  belonging 
to  the  group — namely,  that  called  Whidbey's — would  of  course  belong 
to  the  United  States. 

"  This  question  being,  as  I  have  already  said,  one  of  interpretation 
rather  than  of  local  observation,  it  ought,  in  the  opinion  of  her 
Majesty's  Government,  to  be  determined  before  the  commissioners 
go  out,  which  cannot  be  earlier  than  spring  next  year." 

A  FAIR  PROPOSITION. — -A  draft  copy  of  the  instructions  proposed 
by  Great  Britain  to  be  given  to  the  commissioners  about  to  be 
appointed,  was  enclosed  along  with  the  foregoing  letter.  They 
accorded  with  the  letter  in  every  particular.  It  says  :  "That  part 
of  the  channel  of  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  which  lies  nearly  midway 
between  the  48th  and  49th  parallels  of  north  latitude,  appearing  by 
Vancouver's  chart  to  be  obstructed  by  numerous  islands,  which  seem 
to  be  separated  from  each  other  by  small  and  intricate  channels,  as 
yet  unexplored ;  it  has,  therefore,  been  mutually  determined  between 
the  Governments  of  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  difficulties  which  would  probably  attend  the  explorations 
of  all  those  channels,  that  the  line  of  boundary  shall  be  drawn  along 
the  middle  of  the  wide  channel  to  the  east  of  those  islands,  which  is 
laid  down  by  Vancouver  and  marked  with  soundings  as  the  channel 
which  had  been  explored  and  used  by  the  officers  under  his  command. 
You  will  find  the  line  thus  described  traced  in  red,  in  the  copy  of 
Vancouver's  chart  hereunto  annexed.  It  must  accordingly  be  left  to 


174  HISTORY   OF   BKJT1SH    COLUMBIA. 

the  discretion  of  the  commissioners  to  connect  that  part  of  the  liner 
which,  being  drawn  through  that  portion  of  the  gulf  free  from  islands, 
must  pass  exactly  half  way  between  Vancouver  Island  and  the  main; 
but  the  slight  deviations  of  the  boundary  from 'the  accurate  midway 
which  may  for  some  short  distance  be  required  for  this  purpose  cannot 
be  of  any  material  importance  to  either  party. >J 

DELAYED  UNTIL  1856. — The  instructions  given  above  should  be 
looked  upon  as  most  fair,  and  shows  that  the  British  Government 
was  willing  to  do  everything  possible  to  settle  fairly  the  boundary 
question.  Tt  was  delayed,  however,  until  the  year  1856,  on  the 
pretext  that  the  legislature  of  the  United  States  had  not  appro- 
priated the  sum  necessary  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  work  required 
to  mark  out  the  boundaries. 

HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY'S  BUSINESS  UNDISTURBED. — The  passing  of 
the  Oregon  Treaty  d  d  not  at  the  time  affect  the  general  business  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  which  was  then  in  a  most  flourishing 
condition.  The  fur  trade  had  begun  to  fall  off  to  the  south  of  the 
Columbia  River,  owing  to  the  influx  of  settlers.  The  natives  in  that 
direction  were  becoming  somewhat  dangerous.  They  were  imbued 
with  a  dislike  to  the  "Boston  men,"  as  they  termed  the  United 
States  people,  but  continued  to  have  confidence  in  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  men,  whom  they  termed  "King  George  men."  The  Russian 
trade  was  increasing.  Along  the  coast  and  in  the  interior  of  the 
vast  domain,  untouched  by  the  treaty,  everything  went  on  as  usual. 

FLOURISHING  AT  VICTORIA. — Under  Finlayson's  careful  manage- 
ment the  new  fort  at  Victoria  was  giving  an  excellent  account  of 
itself.  In  little  more  than  three  years  after  its  commencement, 
there  were  160  acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  on  which  were 
grown  wheat,  oats,  potatoes,  carrots,  turnips,  and  other  vegetables. 
The  natives  became  well  disposed  and  turned  in  to  assist  to  clear 
land  and  perform  agricultural  work.  They  were  paid  according  to. 
their  work,  at  the  same  rate  as  white  laborers.  Two  extensive 
dairies,  each  having  seventy  cows,  were  established  at  the  new  fort. 
The  cows  yielded  during  the  season  seventy  pounds  of  butter  each. 

EXCELLENT  CROPS. — It  is  recorded  that  "in  1847,  on  the  flat  where 
now  run  the  most  prominent  business  streets,  where  stand  the  banks, 
the  post  office,  and  the  principal  business  houses,  three  hundred  acres 
were  cleared  and  under  cultivation.  The  land  was  rich,  producing 
tine  pease  and  potatoes,  and  of  wheat  forty  bushels  to  the  acre.  The 
most  of  the  produce  was  sent  to  Sitka.  Five  thousand  bushels  of 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  175 

wheat,  and  large  quantities  of  beef  and  mutton  were  shipped  from 
Victoria  harbor  that  year  in  two  Russian  vessels.  Payment  for  this 
produce  was  made  with  bills  of  exchange  on  St.  Petersburg.  A 
portion  of  the  cargo  of  those  two  Russian  vessels  was  brought  from 
Fort  Langley  in  small  boats. 

ENCOURAGING  DIRECTIONS.  —  PAUL  KANE,  a  somewhat  celebrated 
artist  and  painter,  visited  this  section  of  the  country  in  1846-47. 
Mr.  Kane  had  studied  art  in  Europe,  and  returned  to  Canada  with 
the  determination  to  devote  his  time  and  talents  to  the  completion 
of  a  series  of  paintings  illustrative  of  Indian  life  and  character. 
After  an  interview  on  the  subject  with  Sir  George  Simpson,  governor 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  who  entered  cordially  into  the  project, 
and  gave  directions  to  the  Company's  officers  to  facilitate  the  artist's 
movements  in  every  way,  he  set  out  from  Toronto  in  May,  1846,  his 
design  being,  whenever  an  opportunity  offered,  to  make  portraits 
of  the  principal  chiefs  in  their  native  dress,  and  characteristically 
to  represent  on  canvas  the  Indian  tribes  and  scenery  of  the  almost 
unknown  country. 

On  reaching  Lake  Superior,  Mr.  Kane  joined  a  brigade  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  by  way  of  the  Red  River  settlement,  he 
passed  to  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  by  the  Saskatchewan  River  to 
Edmonton.  Early  in  October  he  left  Edmonton,  passing  by  way  of 
Fort  Assiniboine  to  Jasper  House,  thence  he  crossed  the  mountains 
by  the  Athabaska  Pass,  reaching  the  Columbia  River  down  which  he 
made  a  rapid  voyage  of  fifteen  days  to  Fort  Vancouver,  where  he 
arrived  on  the  8th  of  December.  In  a  volume  published  in  1859, 
entitled  ;' Wanderings  of  an  Artist  among  the  Indians  of  North 
America,  from  Canada  to  Vancouver  Island  and  Oregon,"  it  is 
mentioned  that  Fort  Vancouver,  on  his  visit,  contained  two  chief 
factors,  ten  clerks  and  two  hundred  voyageurs,  and  that  the  fort  was 
further  enlivened  by  the  presence  of  H.  M.  S.  Modeste,  which  had 
been  on  the  station  for  two  years. 

PAUL  KANE'S  WANDERINGS. — The  artist  remained  at  Fort  Van- 
couver until  the  beginning  of  January,  when  he  proceeded  southward 
some  distance  up  the  Williamette.  He  then  found  his  way  northward 
to  Puget  Sound  and  Vancouver  Island.  Here  among  various  Indian 
tribes,  he  spent  the  summer  of  1847.  In  the  autumn  he  returned  by 
the  River  Columbia,  and  reached  Edmonton  in  December,  meeting 
with  great  hardship  and  much  suffering  on  the  journey,  owing  to  the 
lateness  of  the  season.  At  Cumberland  House  he  mefc  Sir  John 


176  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

Richardson  and  Dr.  Rae  on  their  way  to  Mackenzie  River  in  search 
of  Sir  John  Franklin.  He  reached  Toronto,  October,  1848.  Mr. 
Sandford  Fleming  states,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Royal  Society  of 
Canada,  1889,  that  some  of  Mr.  Kane's  paintings  are  to  be  seen  at  the 
Speaker's  residence  in  the  House  of  Commons,  Ottawa ;  the  greater 
number  of  them  are  in  the  private  collection  of  Senator  Allan,  Toronto. 
DR.  McLouGHLiN  RETIRES. — James  Douglas  was  then  the  chief 
factor  of  the  entire  territory  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Dr. 
McLoughlin  had  retired  from  the  service  in  1845,  and  with  his 
family  went  to  Oregon  city  to  reside.  His  wife  was  the  widow  of 
Alexander  McKay,  already  referred  to  as  being  the  associate  of 
Alexander  Mackenzie  in  his  exploratory  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast  in 
1793,  and  who  lost  his  life  in  the  massacre  on  board  the  Tonquin  in 
1811.  The  new  fort  was  found  to  be  most  convenient.  It  drew 
trade  from  all  directions.  Preparations  were  under  way  for  removing 
headquarters  from  Fort  Vancouver  to  Fort  Victoria,  as  all  the  forts 
and  trading-posts  and  farms  south  of  latitude  forty-nine  and  north  of  the 
boundary  line  must,  under  the  treaty,  be  abandoned  and  transferred. 
HUDSON  BAY  COMPANY  INDEMNIFIED. — This  only  caused  a  certain 
amount  of  inconvenience  to  the  Company,  but  not  much  actual  loss, 
as  their  possessory  rights  were  assessed  and  paid  for  in  full  by  the 
United  States  Government,  and  the  use  of  the  illimitable  north 
remained  with  them  as  before.  New  channels  of  communication 
with  the  interior,  however,  were  required  to  connect  with  Fort 
Victoria  instead  of  the  Columbia,  whch  would  be  of  no  service  south 
of  the  boundary  after  the  business  of  the  Company  was  withdrawn. 

A  ROAD  SURVEY. — To  open  up  the  country 
by  way  of  Fort  Langley  and  the  Fraser 
River,  the  work  of  exploration  was  at  once 
commenced.  Early  in  1846,  Mr.  A.  C. 
Anderson,  who  then  had  charge  of  Fort 
Alexandria  (the  next  fort  on  the  Fraser  north 
of  Langley),  set  out  with  five  men  to  survey 
the  country  from  Fort  Kamloops  to  Fort 
Langley.  His  downward  journey  was  not 
very  successful  ;  but  he  was  more  fortunate 
A.  c.  ANDBRSON.  on  nis  return,  and  secured  a  route  which 

was  adopted  from  Langley  by  the  way  of  the 

Quequealla  River  (at  the  mouth  of  which  the  town  of   Hope  now 
stands)  and  Lake  Nicola  to  Kamloops,  from  whence  the  trails  to  the 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  177 

interior  were  tolerably  well  known.  He  made  another  survey  in 
1847,  but  without  further  success  ;  his  route  of  the  previous  year 
afterwards  became,  in  the  main,  the  waggon-road  to  the  south-eastern 
interior. 

NATIVES  OPPOSED  TO  NEW  ROUTE. — Although  not  openly  displayed, 
Anderson's  explorations  met  with  a  considerable  amount  of  hostility 
from  the  Indians ;  but  their  attempts  to  misguide  and  mislead  him 
were  not  sufficient  to  overcome  his  determination  to  succeed,  and, 
assisted  as  he  was  by  the  fidelity  of  the  native  servants  by  whom  he 
was  accompanied,  he  was  enabled  to  defeat  their  plans  and  secure  the 
required  route.  Mr.  Anderson  was  a  most  efficient  officer,  and 
performed  his  duties  faithfully  to  the  Company  until  1854,  when  he 
retired  from  active  service  on  two  years'  retiring  furlough  in  addition 
to  the  usual  retiring  interest,  which  continued  for  seven  years 
subsequently. 

A  NATIVE  OF  CALCUTTA. — Seeing  that  Alex.  Caulfield  Anderson's 
services  in  New  Caledonia  refer  to  important  topics  and  over  an 
extended  period,  connected  with  the  history  of  British  Columbia,  it 
may  not  be  out  of  place  to  give  a  short  sketch  of  his  career.  He  was 
a  native  of  Calcutta,  educated  in  England.  Having  entered  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company's  service  in  1831,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
reached  Fort  Vancouver  in  1832.  After  assisting  in  the  founding  of 
the  trading-posts  at  Milbank  Sound  and  on  the  Stickeen,  he  was 
appointed  in  1835  to  Mr.  Ogden's  district  of  New  Caledonia,  arriving 
at  Fort  George  in  September.  He  was  then  despatched  with  a  party 
by  way  of  Yellow  Head  Pass  to  Jasper  House  to  meet  the  Columbia 
brigade,  and  bring  back  goods  for  the  New  Caledonia  district.  Two 
months  afterwards  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of  Fort  Alex- 
andria on  the  lower  end  of  the  Fraser  River,  his  first  independent 
command. 

IN  THE  AUTUMN  of  1839  he  was  removed  to  Fort  George,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1840,  accompanied  the  outgoing  brigade  to  Fort  Vancouver. 
In  the  summer  of  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of 
Fort  Nisqually.  In  the  autumn  of  1841,  Mr.  Anderson  left  Nisqually 
and  passed  the  winter  at  Fort  Vancouver.  Next  spring  he  went  with 
the  express  to  York  Factory,  returned  in  October  to  Fort  Alexandria, 
where  he  again  took  charge  and  remained  till  1848,  having  meanwhile 
been  promoted.  In  1848  he  succeeded  Chief  Factor  John  Lees  in  the 
Colville  district.  He  remained  at  Fort  Colville,  making  annual  trips 
with  supplies  and  bringing  out  furs  to  Fort  Langley  until  1851, 
12 


178  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

when  he  went  to  Fort  Vancouver  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Ballenden,  and 
succeeded  temporarily  to  the  superintendency  till  1854,  when  he 
retired  from  the  Company's  service. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  Company's  service  Mr.  Anderson  married 
Miss  Birnie.  In  1858,  he  went  to  Victoria  to  inquire  into  the  gold 
discoveries.  Governor  Douglas  urged  him  to  accept  office  and  bring^ 
his  family  from  the  country  which  he  did,  and  resided  at  Rosebank, 
Saanich,  near  Victoria.  In  order  to  afford  accommodation  for  the 
transport  of  goods  to  the  newly  discovered  gold  diggings,  he  recom- 
mended and  directed  the  opening  of  a  road  from  the  head  of  Harrison. 
Lake  by  way  of  Lake  Anderson,  where  Lillooet  was  afterward  located. 
Five  hundred  miners  were  employed  on  the  work,  and  the  road  then 
constructed  was  used  for  the  transport  of  all  supplies,  until  the  road 
along  the  Fraser  was  made. 

HIGH  DUTIES. — It  was  found  after  the  passing  of  the  Oregon 
Treaty  that  the  duties  on  foreign  goods  arriving  at  Fort  Vancouver 
was  so  high  that  business  could  not  be  carried  on  there  as  usual. 
That  although  British  subjects  had  the  same  rights  as  subjects  of  the 
United  States  to  navigate  the  Columbia,  that  right  did  not  permit 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  to  import  goods  except  on  payment  of 
duty  to  the  United  States  Customs  for  any  merchandise  which  might 
be  sold  in  Oregon.  Orders  were  therefore  sent  to  officers  in  charge  of 
interior  posts  to  open  modes  of  communication  from  all  points  to 
Fort  Langley,  where  supplies  from  headquarters  would  be  sent  to  the 
several  districts.  Fort  Victoria  was  to  take  the  place  of  Fort 
Vancouver  as  a  distributing  and  shipping  post. 

These  changes  and  the  increased  shipping  added  to  the  importance 
of  Fort  Victoria  and  Mr.  Finlayson's  duties.  Farming  operations  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  fort  were  carried  on  extensively.  The  war 
vessels  and  merchantmen  were  supplied  with  all  the  beef  and  vege- 
tables they  required.  Beef  was  sold  to  them  at  eight  cents  per 
pound,  and  flour  and  vegetables  proportionately  cheap.  A  grist  and 
a  saw  mill  were  erected  at  the  upper  end  of  Esquimalt  harbor  to 
supply  flour  and  lumber. 

SUPPLIES  FOR  CALIFORNIA. — The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in 
1848  also  brought  a  large  trade  to  Victoria.  The  miners  discovered 
that  supplies  were  plentiful  at  Victoria,  whilst  at  San  Francisco  such 
goods  as  they  most  required  were  of  limited  supply  and  sold  at 
extravagant  prices  ;  hence  a  large  number  of  them  came  to  Victoria. 
Mr.  Finlayson,  in  his  autobiography,  refers  to  this,  and  says:  "Early 


THE   FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  179 

in  1849  a  vessel  appeared  in  the  harbor,  the  crew  of  which  wore  red 
flannel  shirts.  When  they  landed  we  took  them  to  be  pirates.  I 
ordered  the  men  to  the  guns,  manned  the  bastions  and  made  ready 
for  defence.  A  few  of  the  men  approached  the  gate  and  informed 
me  they  were  peaceable  traders,  come  from  San  Francisco  with  gold 
which  they  would  give  in  exchange  for  goods,  as  this  was,  they  were 
told,  the  only  station  on  the  northern  coast  where  they  could  get  the 
goods  they  wanted. 

GOLD  NUGGETS. — "  Having  satisfied  myself  that  they  were  what 
they  represented  themselves  to  be,  I  gave  them  permission  to  enter. 
They  informed  me  that  the  previous  year  gold  had  been  discovered 
in  California  in  large  quantities,  and  that  they  had  brought  nuggets 
to  give  for  goods.  They  produced  several  of  these,  the  value  of  which, 
at  first  sight,  I  felt  doubtful,  but  brought  one  of  them  over  to  the 
blacksmith's  shop  and  asked  him  and  his  assistant  to  hammer  it  on 
the  anvil.  This  they  did,  and  flattened  it  out  satisfactorily.  I  next 
referred  to  rny  book  on  minerals,, and  concluded  that  the  specimens 
were  genuine.  I  then  offered  them  $11.00  per  ounce  for  their  gold, 
which  they  took  without  a  murmur.  I  then  mentioned  my  prices, 
to  which  they  did  not  object.  I  felt  somewhat  doubtful,  but  con- 
cluded to  accept  the  gold,  and  the  trade  went  on.  They  took  in 
exchange  such  goods  as  were  not  often  required  in  our  trade — old 
iron  pots,  sea  boots,  blankets,  baize,  etc.,  etc.,  for  which  I  received 
satisfactory  prices.  A  considerable  sum  was  thus  traded  for  the 
nuggets ;  but  being  doubtful  as  to  the  value  I  placed  on  the  gold, 
I  despatched  a  boat  with  a  crew  of  eight  men  to  Puget  Sound  and 
thence  to  the  head  depot  at  Vancouver,  with  specimens  of  my  trade, 
and  asking  whether  I  was  right  or  wrong.  The  answer  was,  that  I 
was  right,  and  that  more  goods  would  be  sent  me  to  carry  on  the 
trade.  Afterwards  several  other  vessels  came  with  the  same  object 
and  more  gold.  The  effect  was  that  soon  our  operations  became 
considerably  disarranged  by  numbers  of  our  men  leaving  us  for  the 
California  diggings,  including  the  sailors  from  our  ships.  We  had 
to  increase  their  pay  to  induce  them  to  remain,  and  had  to  employ 
Indians  to  replace  the  sailors  on  the  ships  and  the  laborers  on 
land." 

REMOVAL  OF  FACTOR  DOUGLAS  AND  FAMILY. — Mr.  Finlayson  con- 
tinues :  "The  same  year,  1849,  the  late  Sir  James  Douglas,  then 
Chief  Factor  Douglas,  removed  with  his  family  from  the  depot  on  the 
Columbia  River  to  this  place,  as  by  this  time  the  principal  business 


180  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

of  the  department  was  carried  on  here.  I  was  relieved  of  the 
onerous  duties  I  had  to  perform  since  the  building  of  the  fort.  Mr. 
Douglas  having  taken  the  superintendence  in  hand,  I  was  placed  in 
the  office  as  head  accountant,  which  I  held  until  the  year  1862." 

FIRST  NOTICE  RECEIVED.— Mr.  A.  C.  Anderson,  writing,  says:  "It 
was  at  Fort  Colville,  in  1848,  that  [  first  got  notice  of  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  California,  in  a  private  letter  from  Mr.  Douglas,  who  had 
just  returned  from  a  trip  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Little  excite- 
ment, however,  arose  from  this  communication  on  the  part  of  anyone ; 
and,  in  fact,  Mr.  Douglas  himself  seemed  half  incredulous  of  the 
report.  A  few  months,  however,  served  to  dissipate  this  belief,  and 
before  the  autumn  of  1849,  the  whole  country  was  ablaze.  I  myself 
felt  fearful,  on  my  return  from  Langley,  in  August  of  that  year,  lest 
every  man  should  leave  me.  By  prudent  npanagement,  however,  and 
possessing,  I  flatter  myself,  the  confidence  of  my  men,  I  contrived  to 
confirm  them  in  their  allegiance,  and  retained  their  services  until 
their  contracts  were  fully  expired,  a  period  of  some  two  years.  In 
this  respect  I  was  exceptionally  fortunate,  for  while  my  men,  some 
thirty  in  number,  adhered  to  me  faithfully,  the  other  ports  lower 
down  the  river,  including  Fort  Vancouver,  in  which  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  had  been  stationed,  were  almost  deserted,  and 
Indian  laborers  were  hired  to  supply  the  deficiency. 

GREAT  EXCITEMENT. — "  It  is  almost  impossible  to  realize  to  the 
mind  the  intense  excitement  which  at  times  prevailed.  Gold  appeared 
to  be  almost,  as  it  were,  a  drug  on  the  market,  and  more  than  one  of 
the  French-Canadian  servants  who  had  left  Vancouver  under  the 
circumstances  mentioned,  returned  the  following  spring  with  accumu- 
lations varying  from  $30,000  to  $ 40.000.  It  is  needless,  however,  to 
add  that  the  large  amounts  of  treasure  thus  collected  with  so  much 
facility,  united  with  the  habits  of  extravagance  which  the  unexpected 
possession  of  wealth  engendered,  speedily  disappeared.  The  men 
who  had  thus  dissipated  their  possessions,  sanguine  of  their  capacity 
to  replace  them  with  equal  facility  as  before,  returned  to  California 
enly  to  find  that  the  field  of  their  operations  was  fully  occupied  by 
others,  who  in  the  meantime  had  flocked  in,  and  that  their  chance 
was  gone.'' 

COAL  DISCOVERED. — Another  important  discovery  was  brought 
prominently  forward  on  Vancouver  Island  in  1849.  It  is  related 
that  in  December  of  that  year,  Joseph  W.  Mackay,  while  engaged  in 
the  Company's  office  in  Fort  Victoria,  was  called  aside  by  the  foreman 


THE   FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  IS] 

of  the  blacksmith's  shop,  who  informed  him  that  an  old  Nanaimo 
chief,  from  the  vicinity  of  what  was  then  called  Protection  Island, 
had  entered  the  shop  a  short  time  previous  to  have  his  gun  repaired. 
Whilst  waiting  and  watching  operations,  he  noticed  the  men  replen- 
ishing the  fire  with  coal.  Picking  up  some  of  the  lumps  he  examined 
them  closely,  and  finally  remarked  that  there  was  plenty  of  such  stone 
where  he  lived.  Proceeding  to  the  shop,  Mackay  entered  into  con- 
versation with  the  Indian,  who  repeated  what  he  had  said  to  the 
blacksmith,  giving  further  particulars  with  more  exactness.  Mackay 
then  said  if  he  would  bring  him  some  pieces  of  the  stuff,  he  should 
have  a  bottle  of  rum  and  his  gun  repaired  free.  The  offer  was 
accepted, 

TESTED  AT  THE  FORGE.  — "  The  Indian  departed,  and  as  nothing 
further  was  heard  of  the  matter  for  some  time,  it  was  supposed  the 
old  chief  had  forgotten  his  promise.  But  not  so.  He  had  been  laid 
up  with  illness  during  winter.  One  day  early  in  April  he  appeared 
in  Victoria  with  his  canoe  well  loaded  with  coal.  It  was  tested  at 
the  forge  by  the  smith  and  pronounced  of  excellent  quality.  Mackay 
fulfilled  his  promise  by  presenting  the  bottle  of  rum  to  the  trusty  old 
chieftain.  A  prospecting  party  was  at  once  fitted  out,  and  Mackay, 
placing  himself  at  the  head  of  it,  landed  near  where  the  city  of 
Nanaimo  now  stands.  On  his  return  to  Victoria,  Mackay  made  a 
favorable  report.  It  was  forthwith  determined  to  turn  to  practical 
account  this  new  discovery,  but  owing  to  other  business  the  mine 
was  neglected  for  the  time  being." 

FORTS  LANGLEY  AND  YALE. — Fort  Langley  was  the  only  station 
occupied  by  white  men  on  the  Fraser,  below  Fort  Alexandria,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  three  hundred  miles,  until  the  establishment  of  Fort 
Yale  in  1848.  It  was  so  named  after  James  Murray  Yale,  then  in 
charge  of  Fort  Langley,  who  entered  the  Company's  service  in  1815, 
when  a  boy,  and  who  in  after  life  became  one  of  their  best  officers. 
The  new  fort  was  erected  to  facilitate  the  transfer  of  supplies  and 
furs  over  the  new  route  about  to  be  opened,  connecting  the  seaboard 
with  the  interior  east  and  north.  The  difficulties  experienced  on  the 
first  trip  to  and  from  Fort  Yale,  determined  Douglas  to  establish 
another  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Fraser,  a  short  distance  below  Yale 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Coquihalla  River,  to  be  named  Hope. 

A  DISASTROUS  TRIP. — The  first  party  on  the  new  road  to  Yale 
consisted  of  three  brigades,  namely,  one  from  New  Caledonia, 
Thompson  River  and  Colville,  respectively.  After  due  preparation 


182  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

they  set  out  with  fifty  men  and  four  hundred  horses,  under  the 
command  of  Donald  Manson,  of  New  Caledonia,  he  being  the  senior 
officer  present — Anderson,  in  charge  of  the  Colville  district,  being 
second.  On  a  new  trail,  with  so  many  horses,  many  of  them  unbroken, 
the  difficulties  may  be  imagined.  Fort  Yale  was  reached.  The  horses 
were  left  there  and  the  party  quickly  passed  on  to  Langley.  The  return 
journey  by  the  same  route  was,  if  possible,  more  disastrous  than  had 
been  the  downward  trip.  The  merchandise  carried  back  was  more 
bulky  and  perishable  than  their  former  cargo,  and  not  only  a  large 
percentage  of  the  property  was  destroyed,  but  many  of  the  horses 
were  lost. 

THE  OLD  ROUTE  CONDEMNED. — Fort  Hope  was  therefore  built  to 
be  used  for  next  year's  brigade.  The  route  partially  explored  in 
1846  was  more  fully  examined,  and  with  certain  changes  was  recom- 
mended and  adopted.  The  route  over  which  they  had  just  passed 
was  condemned,  as  a  portion  of  it  had  to  pass  through  a  host  of 
barbarians,  which  congregate  during  the  summer  season .  at  the 
fisheries.  The  report  of  Donald  Manson  and  John  Tod,  of  Kamloops, 
said  :  "  The  risks  of  sacrificing  both  life  and  property  (for  it  is 
needless  to  attempt  to  cloak  the  matter)  under  circumstances  which 
neither  courage  nor  precaution  could  avail  against  to  resist  surprise 
or  guard  against  treachery,  are  alone  sufficient  to  deter  us  from  the 
attempt.  The  losses  by  theft,  in  themselves  nowise  contemptible, 
which  have  already  taken  place,  are  but  the  prelude  to  future 
depredations  on  a  larger  scale,  should  the  present  system  of  opera- 
tions be  unfortunately  persisted  in — depredations  which,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  will  be  difficult  either  to  discover  in  time  or  to  prevent 
effectually."  The  new  route  was  adopted,  and  was  followed  until 
1860,  when  the  government  road  was  completed. 

FORT  THOMPSON. — At  Kamloops  was  Fort  Thompson,  one  of  the 
oldest  in  New  Caledonia,  having  been  established  in  1810  by  David 
Thompson,  it  was  always  a  place  of  importance,  being  the  centre  of 
the  Thompson  district,  the  rendezvous  and  point  of  transfer  of  the 
annual  brigades  passing  north  and  south  to  and  from  Fort  Vancouver, 
and  latterly  connecting  with  the  seaboard  by  way  of  Langley  and 
Victoria.  It  was  at  Fort  Thompson,  Bancroft  in  his  peculiar  manner 
relates,  "  that  the  Company's  officer  in  command,  Samuel  Black, 
challenged  his  brother-scot  and  guest,  David  Douglas,  the  wandering 
botanist,  to  fight  a  duel,  because  the  blunt  visitor  one  night,  while 
over  his  rum  and  dried  salmon,  had  stigmatized  the  honorable  fur 


THE    FUR-TRADING   PERIOD.  183 

traders  as  not  possessing  a  soul  above  a  beaver  skin.  But  the 
enthusiastic  pupil  of  Hooker  preferred  to  fight  another  day,  and  so 
took  his  departure  next  morning  unharmed,  but  only  to  meet  his 
death  shortly  after  by  falling  into  a  pit  at  the  Hawaiian  Islands 
while  homeward  bound.  Likewise  we  may  say,  poor  Black  !  for  it 
was  but  a  short  time  after  this  chivalrous  display  of  fidelity  to  his 
company,  that  is  to  say,  during  the  winter  of  1841-42  while  residing 
at  the  old  fort,  that  he  was  cruelly  assassinated  by  the  nephew  of  a 
f  riendly  neighboring  chief  named  Wanquille,  for  having  charmed  his 
life  away." 

JOHN  TOD — SMALL-POX. — Attached  to  the  fort  were  extensive  stock- 
ades for  horses,  as  in  the  neighborhood  hundreds  of  fine  horses  were 
bred  for  the  transport  service.     John  Tod  was  the  officer  in  charge  at 
Kamloops  in  1846.     He  was  a  man  of  good 
executive  ability,  and  understood  the  Indian 
character    thoroughly.     At    that    time    the 
warriors  of  the  Shuswap  tribes,  to  the  num- 
ber of  three  hundred,  combined  to  rob  and 
murder  the  Company's  men  on  the  next  trip. 
Tod,    through    a    friendly    chief,    was    made 
aware  of  the  plot,  but  only  after  the  savages 
had  started'  on  their  murderous  expedition. 
He  immediately  started  alone  on  horseback 
to  their  camp,  and  riding  amongst  them  on 
his  foaming  steed,  dropped  his  bridle  reins, 
and  holding  aloft  his  rifle  and  pistols  threw  them  on  the  ground.     He 
then  snatched  the  reins  and  made  a  few  rapid  peace  evolutions  on  his 
well-trained  mare,  which  the  Indians  understood,  and  coming  to  a 
sudden   halt  addressed  the  amazed  savages  in  the  most  impressive 
manner,  informing  them  of  the  near  approach  of  small-pox,  and  that 
he  had  hastened  with  medicine  to   their  assistance.     The  ruse  was 
successful.     In  a  few  minutes  Tod  had  conquered  the  three  hundred 
warriors.     They  expressed  great  thankfulness,  arid  willingly  submitted 
to  be  vaccinated.     Fifty  of  the  leaders  were  first  selected,  then  other 
twenty,  when  the  vaccine  gave  out.     Tod  used  his  tobacco  knife  as 
lancet.     He  afterwards  admitted  confidentially  to  a  friend,  that  when 
the  turn  of  certain  noted   rascals,  whom   he  was  satisfied  were  the 
head  and  front  of  the  conspiracy,  came,  he  did  cut  away  more  than 
was  absolutely  necessary,  and  did  not  perhaps  feel  that  sympathy  and 
solicitude  for  the  comfort  of  his  patients  which  he  ought  to  have 


HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

done;  and  if  so  be  the  arm — he  operated  on  the  right  arm — might 
not  wield  a  weapon  for  ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  so  much  the  better. 
So  the  "Shuswap  conspiracy"  ended.  The  friendly  chief  was 
rewarded  with  the  horse  he  coveted.  Tod  was  almost  worshipped, 
for  not  a  mart  of  the  three  hundred  would  6ver  after  believe  that  he 
did  not  owe  his  life  to  Chief  Trader  Tod. 

HORSE  FLESH  USED.  —  Commander  R.  C.  Mayne,  in  his  interesting 
work,  "  Four  Years  in  British  Columbia  and  Vancouver  Island," 
mentions  that  he  visited  Fort  Thompson  in  1859,  and  went  "to  see 
the  bands  of  horses  driven  in,  and  those  past  work  selected  for  food. 
There  were  some  two  or  three  hundred  horses  of  all  sorts  and  ages  at 
the  station.  Just  outside  the  fort  were  two  pens,  or  corrals  as  they 
called  them,  and  into  these  the  horses  were  driven.  A  few  colts  were 
chosen  for  breaking  in,  and  then  the  old  mares,  whose  breeding  time 
was  past,  were  selected  and — for  it  was  upon  horse-flesh  principally 
that  the  people  of  the  fort  lived — driven  out  to  be  killed,  skinned  and 
salted  down." 


CHAPTER   XX. 


COLONIZATION  IS  INTRODUCED. 

IMMIGRATION  AND  MINERS. — No  sooner  had  the  boundary  question 
been  disposed  of  than  the  subject  of  colonization  came  forward.  The 
tide  of  immigration  was  pouring  into  Oregon  and  miners  into 
California.  Something  required  to  be  done  on  the  Britisli  side  of  the 
line.  English  statesmen  did  not  see  why  the  Pacific  coast  should  not 
be  utilized  as  colonization  ground  for  the  surplus  population  of  Great 
Britain.  The  idea  was  soon  expressed  in  Parliament.  A  letter  from 
the  Company  was  addressed  to  Lord  Grey,  stating  that  their  establish- 
ment was  every  year  enlarging,  and  asking  for  a  grant  of  land. 
Negotiations  to  obtain  Vancouver  continued  until  March,  1847,  when 
Sir  J.  H.  Pelly,  Governor  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in  London, 
informed  Earl  Grey  that  the  Company  would  "  undertake  the  govern- 
ment and  colonization  of  all  the  territories  belonging  to  the  Crown  in. 
North  America  and  receive  a  grant  accordingly." 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  185 

PROPOSAL  TO  COLONIZE. — This  proposition  was  too  extensive  for 
the  British  Government,  so  the  negotiations  were  suspended  until 
1848,  when  a  more  moderate  proposition  was  made,  by  which  the 
Company  offered  to  continue  the  management  of  the  whole  territory 
north  of  the  49th  degree  ;  but  was  willing  to  accept  Vancouver  Island 
alone  for  colonization  purposes,  and  that  the  Company  would  not 
expect  any  pecuniary  advantage  from  colonizing  the  territory  in 
question ;  and  that  all  moneys  received  for  lands  or  minerals  would 
be  applied  to  purposes  connected  with  the  improvement  of  the  country. 
The  British  Government  had  not  as  yet  fully  determined  what  should 
be  done.  The  Company,  however,  had  a  charter  prepared  asking  for 
a  grant  of  the  whole  of  Vancouver  Island,  which  was  laid  before 
Parliament. 

GLADSTONE  IN  OPPOSITION. — The  Earl  of  Lincoln  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  17th  July,  1848,  made  an  inquiry  which  had  reference 
partly  to  the  Company's  powers  at  the  Red  River  settlement.  He 
was  in  favor  of  the  grant  to  them  of  Vancouver  Island.  Mr.  Glad- 
stone spoke  against  the  measure,  being  of  opinion  that  the  corporation 
was  not  qualified  for  the  undertaking.  Mr.  Howard  believed  it  would 
be  most  unwise  to  confer  the  extensive  powers  proposed  on  a  fur- 
trading  Company ;  yet  as  California  had  lately  been  ceded  to  the 
United  States,  it  appeared  to  him  a  matter  of  the  highest  importance 
that  a  flourishing  British  colony  should  be  established  on  the  western 
American  coast  in  order  to  balance  the  increased  strength  of  the 
United  States  in  that  quarter. 

LORD  JOHN  RUSSELL  explained  that  the  Company  already  held 
exclusive  privileges,  which  did  not  expire  until  1859  ;  that  they  now 
held  these  western  lands  by  a  crown  grant  dated  13th  May,  1838,  con- 
firming their  possession  for  twenty-one  years  from  that  date  ;  that  these 
privileges  could  not  be  taken  from  them  without  breach  of  principle, 
and  that  if  colonization  were  delayed  until  the  expiration  of  this  term, 
squatters  from  the  United  States  might  step  in  and  possess  themselves 
of  the  island.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the  Privy  Council  Com- 
mittee for  Trade  and  Plantations,  who  on  4th  September  reported  in 
favor  of  the  grant  of  Vancouver  Island  to  the  Company  to  be  vested 
in  them  for  colonization  purposes. 

CONDITION  OF  GRANT. — The  grant  of  Vancouver  Island  was  made 
on  the  13th  January,  1849,  to  the  Governor  and  Company  of  Adven- 
turers of  England,  trading  into  Hudson  Bay,  and  their  successors, 
with  the  royalties  of  its  seas,  and  all  mines  belonging  to  it  forever, 


186  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

subject  only  to  the  domination  of  the  British  Crown,  and  to  the 
yearly  rent  of  seven  shillings  payable  on  the  first  day  of  every  year- 
They  were  to  settle  upon  the  island,  within  tive  years,  a  colony  of 
British  subjects,  and  to  dispose  of  land  for  the  purposes  of  colonization 
at  reasonable  prices,  retaining  ten  per  cent,  of  all  the  moneys  received 
from  such  source,  as  well  as  from  coal  or  other  minerals,  and  applying 
the  remaining  nine  tenths  toward  public  improvement  upon  the 
island.  Such  lands  as  might  be  necessary  for  a  naval  station  and  for 
other  government  establishments  were  to  be  reserved.  The  Company 
should,  every  two  years,  report  to  the  Imperial  Government  the 
number  of  colonists  settled  in  the  island  and  the  lands  sold.  If  at 
the  expiration  of  five  years  no  settlement  should  have  been  made,  the 
grant  should  be  forfeited  ;  and  if  at  the  expiration  of  the  Company's 
license  of  exclusive  trade  with  the  Indians  in  1859,  the  Government 
should  so  elect,  it  might  recover  from  the  Company  the  island,  on 
payment  of  such  sums  of  money  as  had  been  actually  expended  by 
them  in  colonization  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  Crown  reserved  the  right 
to  recall  the  grant  at  the  end  of  five  years  should  the  Company, 
either  from  lack  of  ability  or  will,  fail  to  colonize,  and  to  buy  it  back 
at  the  end  of  ten  years  by  the  payment  of  whatever  sum  the  Company 
should  have  in  the  meantime  expended.  Except  during  hostilities 
between  Great  Britain  and  any  foreign  power,  the  Company  should 
defray  all  expenses  of  all  civil  and  military  establishments  for  the 
government  and  protection  of  the  island. 

The  Company,  soon  after  the  grant  was  made,  issued  a  circular  in 
which  the  following  proposals  were  made.  They  stated  they  were 
ready  to  make  grants  of  land  to  any  emigrants  from  Great  Britain  or 
Ireland,  or  from  any  other  part  of  her  Majesty's  dominions  who 
might  be  desirous  of  settling  "on  the  said  island  on  the  following 
conditions  : 

1st.   That  no  grant  of  land  shall  contain  less  than  twenty  acres. 

2nd.  That  purchasers  of  land  shall  pay  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, at  their  house  in  London,  the  sum  of  £1  per  acre  for  the  land 
sold  to  them  to  be  held  in  free  and  common  socage. 

3rd.  That  purchasers  of  land  shall  provide  a  passage  to  Vancouver 
Island  for  themselves  and  their  families,  if  they  have  any  ;  or  be 
provided  with  a  passage  (if  they  prefer  it)  on  paying  for  the  same  at 
a  reasonable  rate. 

4th.  That  purchasers  of  larger  quantities  of  land  shall  pay  the  same 
price  per  acre,  namely,  £1,  and  shall  take  out  with  them  five  single 
men  or  three  married  couples,  for  every  hundred  acres. 


THE    FUR-TRADING    PERIOD.  187 

5th.  That  all  minerals  wherever  found  shall  belong  to  the  Com- 
pany, who  shall  have  the  right  of  digging  for  the  same,  compensation 
being  made  to  the  owner  of  the  soil  for  any  injury  done  to  the  surface  ; 
but  that  the  said  owner  shall  have  the  privilege  of  working  for  his 
own  benefit  any  coal  mine  that  may  be  had  on  his  land,  on  payment 
of  a  royalty  of  two  shillings  and  sixpence  per  ton. 

6lh.  That  the  right  of  fishing  proposed  to  be  given  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  in  the  grant  as  printed  in  the  parliamentary  papers 
relative  to  Vancouver  Island,  having  been  relinquished,  every 
freeholder  will  enjoy  the  right  of  fishing  all  sorts  of  fish  in  the  seas, 
bays  and  inlets  thereof,  or  surrounding  the  said  island  ;  and  that  all 
the  ports  and  harbors  shall  be  open  and  free  to  them  and  to  all 
nations  either  trading  or  seeking  shelter  therein.  And  as  it  is 
essential  to  the  well-being  of  society  that  the  means  of  religious 
instruction  should  be  within  the  reach  of  every  member  of  the  com- 
munity, provision  will  be  made  for  the  establishment  of  places  of 
worship,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  ministers  of  religion  according  to 
a  plan,  of  which  the  following  is  the  outline  : 

(1.)  The  island  is  to  be  divided  into  districts  of  from  five  to  ten 
square  miles  where  it  is  practicable. 

(2.)  A  portion  of  land  equal  to  one-eighth  of  the  quantity  sold  to 
be  set  aside  for  the  minister  of  religion.  Thus,  in  a  district  of  ten 
square  miles,  containing  6,400  acres,  supposing  5,120  acres  sold,  the 
minister  would  be  entitled  to  640  acres,  and  the  remaining  640  acres 
would  be  available  for  roads,  site  for  church  and  churchyard,  schools 
or  other  public  purposes ;  the  land  so  reserved  or  its  proceeds  to  be 
appropriated  for  these  purposes  in  such  manner  as  may  appear 
advisable. 

(3.)  With  the  view  of  enabling  the  ministers  to  bring  their  lands 
into  cultivation,  a  free  passage  to  be  granted  to  such  a  number  of 
persons  as  a  settler  having  an  equal  quantity  of  land  would  be  required 
to  take  out,  the  cost  to  be  paid  out  of  the  fund  held  in  trust  for  the 
colony. 

(4.)  The  several  apportionments  for  the  purposes  of  religion  to  be 
conveyed  to  and  to  be  held  by  the  Governor-in-Council  in  trust  for 
the  parties  appointed  to  perform  the  clerical  duties  of  the  respective 
districts. 

The  most  material  provisions  of  the  commission  and  instructions  to 
the  governor  for  the  government  of  the  colony,  are  as  follows  : 

The  governor  is  appointed  by  the  Crown,  with  a  council  of  seven 
members  likewise  so  appointed. 

The  governor  is  authorized  to  call  assemblies,  to  be  elected  by  the 
inhabitants  holding  twenty  acres  of  freehold  land. 

For  this  purpose  it  is  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  governor  to  fix 
the  number  of  representatives,  and  to  divide  the  island  into  electoral 
districts  if  he  shall  think  such  division  necessary. 

The  governor  will  have  the  usual  powers  of  proroguing  or  dissolving 
such  assembly. 


188  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Laws  will  be  passed  by  the  governor,  council  and  assembly. 

The  Legislature  thus  constituted  will  have  full  power  to  impose 
taxes  and  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  Island,  and  to  modify  its 
institutions  subject  to  the  usual  control  of  the  Crown. 

The  Crown  has  already  power  under  1st  and  2nd  George  IV., 
c.  66,  to  appoint  Courts  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  in  the  Indian 
territories,  of  which  Vancouver  Island  forms  a  part ;  but  as  the 
jurisdiction  of  such  courts  is,  by  the  12th  section  of  that  Act,  limited 
in  civil  cases  not  involving  more  than  £200  in  value,  and  in  criminal 
cases  to  such  as  are  not  capital  or  transportable  (all  of  which  must  be 
tried  in  Canada),  it  is  intended  to  extend  the  jurisdiction  created  by 
the  existing  Act  by  the  entire  removal  of  those  restrictions. 

The  conditions  of  the  grant  were,  that  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
should  pay  a  yearly  rent  of  seven  shillings,  to  be  paid  on  the  1st  day 
of  January  every  year,  and  to  hold  Vancouver  Island  "  in  free  and 
common  socage"  for  that  amount,  subject  to  sundry  provisoes, 
amongst  which  were  specified  :  That  they  should  colonize  the  island  ; 
dispose  of  the  lands  at  a  reasonable  price,  except  such  as  might  be 
required  for  public  purposes  ;  that  all  moneys  received  from  the  sale 
of  such  lands  should  (after  deducting  ten  per  cent,  for  the  Company) 
be  applied  towards  the  colonization  and  improvement  of  the  island  ; 
make  a  report  of  the  progress  of  settlement  every  two  years  to  one  of 
the  principal  Secretaries  of  State  ;  and  if  within  the  term  of  five 
years,  or  after  the  expiration  of  that  term,  the  settlement  of  the  island 
or  other  conditions  of  the  grant  were  not  fulfilled,  the  grant  and 
license  to  trade  with  the  Indians  might  be  revoked,  the  Crown  paying 
to  the  Company  "  the  money  expended  by  them  in  colonizing  the 
Island  and  the  value  of  their  establishments,  property  and  effects 
then  being  thereon." 


SECTION   III. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD 


CHAPTEE  I. 

THE  ISLAND  having  now  been  granted  for  colonization  purposes, 
it  was  but  reasonable  to  expect  that  there  would  be  colonists.  It 
should  next  be  formed  into  a  colony,  and  of  necessity  there  must  be 
a  governor,  who  was  to  be  appointed  by  the  Imperial  Government. 
Earl  Grey  wrote  to  Sir  John  Pelly,  asking  his  opinion  as  to  the  proper 
person  to  be  recommended  for  the  office  of  governor.  Sir  John 
replied,  recommending  James  Douglas,  giving  as  his  reasons  that. 
Douglas  was  a  man  of  property  and  a  member  of  the  board  for  the 
management  of  the  Company's  affairs  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ; 
and  that  the  appointment  need  not  be  permanent,  but  merely  to  fill 
in  the  time,  until  the  colony  could  afford  to  pay  a  governor  not 
in  any  way  connected  with  the  Company. 

Earl  Grey  did  not  accept  Sir  John  Felly's 
recommendation,  but  appointed  Richard 
Blanshard,  who  left  England  in  1849,  and 
reached  Victoria  on  the  10th  of  March, 
1850,  via  Panama.  On  landing,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Company's  fort.  The  officers, 
with  James  Douglas,  together  with  the  ser- 
vants of  the  Company,  assembled  in  the 
large  room.  Captain  Johnson,  of  the  gov- 
ernment vessel  Driver,  which  had  conveyed 
Mr.  Blanshard,  also  Captain  Gordon,  of  the 
Cormorant,  and  officers,  in  full  uniform, 
were  present  to  hear  read  the  commission  and  proclamation  of  the 
newly  arrived  governor.  Three  cheers  were  given,  and  Bancroft  says  : 
-"The  newly  installed  governor  of  this  wilderness  then  returned  to 


RICHARD   BLANSHARD. 


190  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

the  vessel,  there  being  no  government  house,  inn,  or  other  lodgings 
upon  the  land  to  receive  him." 

Ko  SALARY  WAS  ATTACHED  to  the  appointment.  A  thousand  acres 
of  land  had  been  promised  him  before  leaving  London,  which  promise 
the  Company  construed  to  mean  the  use  of  one  thousand  acres,  not 
a  full  title  in  fee  simple.  Bancroft  enlarges  oti  the  subject  and  says: 
"When  he  desired  to  know  where  his  thousand  acres  of  land  were 
situated,  a  rocky  eminence  two  or  three  miles  away  was  pointed  out 
to  him,  where  a  tract  had  been  set  apart  for  government  use  in  the 
vicinity  of  where  the  government  house  stands.  Thousands  of  pounds 
would  be  necessary  to  make  the  place  respectably  habitable,  and  it 
was  no  wonder  the  governor's  heart  should  quail  or  that  a  huge 
disgust  should  take  possession  of  him.  He  was  further  told  that  the 
promised  thousand  acres  were  intended  for  the  use  of  the  governor 
only  while  he  was  upon  the  island.  He  might  select,  subdue  and 
beautify  the  tract  for  his  successor,  if  it  pleased  him,  but  he  could 
not  sell  or  pocket  the  proceeds  of  it." 

The  foregoing  and  following  extracts  illustrate  how  Bancroft 
moralizes  for  Governor  Blanshard,  and  how  he  substitutes  his 
pessimistic  views  for  British  Columbian  history.  He  says  :  "  The 
governor  recognized  no  relation  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  other 
than  that  usually  existing  between  ruler  and  subject.  That  the* 
Company  held  the  contract  for  colonization,  together  with  a  monopoly 
of  the  soil,  was  nothing  to  him  politically.  It  might  affect  appoint- 
ments and  freedom  of  legislation,  but  it  could  not  change  the  natural 
attitudes  of  crown  governor,  crown  colony,  and  fur  corporation.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Company  cared  nothing  for  the  governor.  As 
their  noble  friend,  Lord  Grey,  had  taken  the  trouble  to  appoint  him, 
and  the  appointee  had  taken  the  trouble  to  come  so  far  over  the  two 
great  oceans,  they  would  treat  him  politely,  that  is,  if  he  would  be 
humble  and  behave  himself;  but  as  for  his  governing  them,  that  was 
simply  ridiculous.  He  might  issue  all  the  mandates  he  pleased,  but 
he  would  give  little  force  to  his  authority  without  appeal  to  the  chief 
factor,  to  Douglas,  to  the  very  man  who  had  opposed  him  in  office. 
.  .  .  Meanwhile,  time  hung  heavily  on  Blanshard's  hands.  Set 
down  upon  the  bare  rocks  of  this  mist  enveloped  isle,  with  the  only 
white  people  on  it,  those  on  whom  he  was  dependent  for  everything, 
for  subjects,  for  society,  and  for  creature  comforts,  opposed  to  his 
rule  in  all  their  interests,  he  felt  himself  to  be  utterly  powerless  and 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  191 

» 

forlorn,  and  could  scarcely  realize  that  he  was  governor,  except  by 
taking  out  his  commission  and  reading  it  to  himself  occasionally." 

FORT  RUPERT,  on  the  north-east  corner  of  Vancouver  Island,  was 
built  in  1849.  It  had  the  usual  stockade,  strengthened  on  the  inside 
with  lateral  beams.  Round  the  interior  ran  a  gallery,  and  at  two 
opposite  corners  were  flanking  bastions  mounting  four  9-pounders. 
Within  were  the  usual  shops  and  buildings,  while  smaller  stockades 
protected  the  garden  and  outhouses,  Although  established  more  as 
a  protection  in  developing  coal  deposits  which  the  Company  undertook 
to  develop  there,  it  was  also  used  as  a  trading-post,  and  partially  took 
the  place  of  Fort  McLoughlin,  at  Milbank  Sound,  abandoned  in  1843. 
Captain  McNeill,  of  the  Beaver,  was  placed  in  charge  at  Fort 
Rupert,  with  forty  men,  whites,  half-breeds  and  Canadian  Frenchmen, 
to  construct  the  fort.  George  Blenkinsop  was  second  in  command. 

THE  MUIR  FAMILY  arrived  from  Scotland  this  year,  having  been 
brought  out  by  the  Company  as  experienced  coal  miners.  The  shaft 
was  sunk  half  a  mile  from  the  fort.  The 
natives  demanded  pay  for  the  land  or  its 
product,  and  when  refused,  surrounded  the 
pit,  threatening  to  kill  all  engaged  should 
they  persist  in  the  robbery.  Muir  reported 
that  Blenkinsop  had  caused  much  dissatisfac- 
tion amongst  the  miners,  putting  three  in 
irons  or  in  jail  because  they  would  not  submit 
to  his  arbitrary  orders  and  unreasonable 
regulations,  which  he  endeavored  to  force 
upon  them  in  the  absence  of  McNeill.  The 
result  was  that,  except  Muir  and  certain 

members  of  his  family,  the  men  all  left  for  California,  and  as  a 
consequence  mining  was  discontinued.  Prospects  being  better  at 
Nanaimo,  Muir  and  all  his  family  and  mining  machinery  proceeded 
to  that  place,  in  the  spring  of  1851. 

COAL  MINING  IN  1853. — From  the  time  that  Mackay  located  the 
vein  reported  by  the  Indian  in  1850,  until  Muir's  arrival,  the  natives 
had  taken  out  considerable  coal  from  Newcastle  Island.  Mackay 
completed  the  fort  at  Nanaimo  in  1852.  The  miners  had  now 
increased  to  such  a  number  as  not  to  be  so  readily  disturbed  by  the 
Indians.  The  new  industry  was  carried  on  by  the  Company  with 
great  energy.  Before  the  end  of  1 853,  no  less  than  two  thousand 
tons  were  shipped,  one-half  of  which  was  taken  out  with  the 


192  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

assistance  of  the  Indians.  The  Company's  price  at  Nanaimo  was 
then  eleven  dollars ;  at  San  Francisco  the  coal  was  sold  for  twenty- 
eight  dollars  per  ton.  Nanaimo  at  this  early  date  became  the  centre 
of  the  coal  industry. 

VISIT  TO  FORT  RUPERT. — Governor  Blanshard,  shortly  after  his 
arrival  at  Victoria,  made  a  trip  to  Fort  Rupert  and  visited  various 
points  along  the  coast.  Dr.  John  Sebastian  Helmcken,  who  arrived 
by  the  ship  Norman  Morrison,  Captain  Wishart,  in  March,  1850,  as 
medical  officer  to. the  Company,  was  the  first  magistrate  appointed  in 
the  colony.  He  was  stationed  at  Fort  Rupert,  where  the  miners 
were  behaving  disorderly.  The  news  of  the  California  gold  excitement 
had  affected  their  usual  good  conduct.  During  the  summer  of  1850, 
Blenkinsop  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  fort  in  McNeill's  absence. 


NANAIMO,  IN  1853. 

At  this  time  there  were  about  thirty  individuals  within  the  pickets, 
including  the  miners.  In  close  proximity  to  the  fort  was  a  village  of 
Indians,  which  sometimes  numbered  from  two  to  three  thousand. 

Dr.  Helmcken  was  instructed  by  the  governor  to  deal  with  the 
troublesome  miners.  They,  however,  refused  to  submit  to  the 
discipline  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  fort  and  its  inhabitants 
from  the  surrounding  tribes.  The  insubordination  increased.  Orders 
were  issued  by  the  governor  to  Dr.  Helmcken  to  appoint  special 
constables.  Volunteers  to  act  as  constables  were  asked  for.  No  one 
would  serve  against  the  others.  They  would  not  work  for  the 
Company  any  longer. 

The  Beaver  having  arrived,  reported  the  desertion  of  three  of  her 
sailors  to  the  England,  which  had  also  arrived  at  Fort  Rupert  for 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  193 

•coal.  Dr.  Helmcken,  in  his  capacity  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  went 
on  board  the  England  to  inquire  about  the  deserters.  He  learned 
that  they  had  left  the  vessel,  as  soon  as  the  Beaver  was  sighted, 
fearing  arrest.  To  make  matters  worse,  the  Indians  got  intoxicating 
liquor  from  the  England,  and  the  men  in  the  fort,  hearing  fresh  news 
from  the  crew  about  the  riches  of  California,  were  ready  to  join  the 
miners  to  leave  the  establishment.  The  England  having  nearly 
completed  loading,  one  day  it  was  found  that  all  the  miners  had  left. 
The  captain  and  crew  of  the  England  would  not  give  any  information 
of  the  absconding  miners,  although  they  were  supposed  to  know  their 
whereabouts. 

DESERTION  OF  SAILORS. — This  desertion  was  a  great  blow  to  the 
fort.  The  mining  operations  were  brought  to  a  close.  To  prevent 
other  desertions,  the  gates  of  the  fort  were  closed  against  egress  or 
ingress.  Dr.  Helmcken  and  Blenkinsop  had  to  keep  close  watch,  as 
they  did  not  know  but  the  excited  Indians  would  attack  the  fort  or 
set  it  on  fire.  The  England  was  ready  to  leave.  Three  men  were 
reported  as  being  on  an  island  not  a  great  distance  off.  An  Indian 
chief,  Whale,  was  sent  to  bring  them  back  safely,  and  he  would  be 
rewarded.  He  returned  without  them.  A  few  days  afterwards,  a 
rumor  was  abroad  that  three  men  had  been  murdered  by  the 
Newittees,  a  tribe  living  thirty  miles  from  Fort  Rupert. 

THE  INTERPRETER  of  the  fort  was  sent  to  inquire  into  the  truth  of 
the  report.  He  returned  next  day,  having  seen  the  absconding 
miners  near  Newittee,  from  whom  he  learned  that  the  murdered  men 
were  sailors.  The  miners  had  been  waiting  for  the  England  to  carry 
them  away.  The  murdered  bodies  were  found  and  buried  at  Fort 
Rupert.  No  charges  so  far  had  been  made  against  the  officers  of  the 
fort,  neither  had  any  effort  been  made  to  bring  the  murderers  to 
justice. 

COURT  OF  INQUIRY. — In  September,  H,M.S.  Daedalus^  Captain 
Wellesley,  with  Governor  Blanshard  on  board,  arrived  at  Fort 
Rupert.  He  held  a  court  of  inquiry  in  reference  to  the  murdered 
sailors,  and  decided  that  Dr.  Helmcken  should  go  and  demand  the 
surrender  of  the  murderers  in  the  usual  manner.  The  doctor  there- 
fore set  off  with  a  half  dozen  Indians  for  Newittee.  On  entering  the 
harbor  he  was  met  by  four  hundred  Indians,  painted  black,  and 
armed  with  muskets,  spears,  axes,  and  other  weapons,  and  making  all 
the  hideous  noises  which  they  employ  to  strike  terror  into  their 
opponents.  Dr.  Helmeken  explained  his  mission  to  them  from  the 
13 


194  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

canoe.  The  chief  answered  him  that  they  would  not  and  could  not 
give  up  the  murderers,  but  were  willing  to  pay  for  the  murdered  men 
as  many  blankets,  furs  and  other  articles  as  might  reasonably  be 
demanded,  this  being  their  law  in  such  cases.  This  was  declined, 
and  they  were  told  they  were  bringing  great  misery  on  themselves 
by  not  acceding  to  the  demand  of  King  George's  law.  When  Dr. 
Helmcken  returned  and  made  know*  to  Governor  Blanshard  and 
Captain  Wellesley  the  decision  of  the  Newittees,  it  was  decided  ta 
send  boats  and  men  to  seize  the  murderers  or  to  punish  the  tribes. 
The  boats  arrived  only  to  find  a  deserted  village. 

REWARDS  OFFERED. — Next  year  H.M.S.  Daphne  went  north  to 
punish  the  tribe,  if  they  still  refused  to  give  up  the  murderers.  On 
that  occasion  the  natives  were  found  in  a  new  camp.  They  peremp- 
torily refused  the  demands  of  the  captain,  and  therefore  the  crew 
prepared  to  attack  them.  The  Indians  fired,  and  wounded  several  of 
the  sailors.  The  fire  was  returned.  The  Indians,  however,  fled  to 
the  thick  woods  near  by,  where  they  could  not  be  followed.  Only 
two  Indians  were  killed  in  the  skirmish.  The  village  huts  were  then 
destroyed,  and  the  Daphne  left.  Rewards  were  offered  by  Governor 
Blanshard  for  the  delivery  of  the  murderers.  They  were  captured  by 
the  Indians  and  shot.  The  bodies  were  brought  to  Mr.  Blenkinsop 
at  Fort  Rupert  and  buried  beside  the  murdered  sailors.  Blenkinsop 
and  Dr.  Helmcken  were  exonerated  from  all  blame  in  the  affair. 

BLANSHARD  DISSATISFIED. — With  the  exception  of  the  visits  as 
mentioned,  Governor  Blanshard  remained  at  Victoria  until  his  depar- 
ture for  England  on  September  1st,  1851.  His  time  was  occupied, 
and  it  may  be  said  his  administration  consisted,  in  giving  orders, 
which  were  disregarded,  and  writing  despatches  to  the  home  Govern- 
ment in  which  he  complained  of  the  actions  of  the  officers  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company.  In  April  of  1851,  he  was  notified  by  the 
managers  of  the  Hudson  Bay  and  Puget  Sound  Companies  that  they 
were  about  to  occupy  some  land  on  the  island,  and  that  the  sum  of 
four  thousand  pounds  sterling  was  to  be  expended  on  public  buildings 
under  the  governor's  direction,  but  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company's  management.  The  buildings  were  to  be 
erected  near  the  fort. 

A  DIFFICULT  POSITION. — In  reply  to  this,  the  governor  wrote  : 
"  Unless  the  colony  is  intended  to  be  merely  an  enlarged  depot  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  which  I  do  not  conceive  was  the  intention  of 
her  Majesty's  Government  in  making  the  grant  of  the  island,  it  will. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  195 

be  a  waste  of  public  money  to  expend  it  in  the  way  they  indicate,  as 
the  buildings  will  then  be  surrounded  by  their  reserves,  which  they 
are  prepared  neither  to  use  nor  sell."  Governor  Blanshard's  position 
was  a  most  anomalous  and  trying  one,  and  it  seems  impossible  that 
any  man,  however  forcible  or  capable,  could  have  done  more  than  he 
did  under  the  circumstances.  The  Company's  officers  and  servants 
were  the  only  white  men  in  the  colony,  and  they  regarded  the 
appointment  of  Blanshard  as  an  attempted  interference  with  their 
control  of  the  island.  This  they  were  not  supposed  to  submit  to,  and 
were  not  backward  in  making  the  fact  uncomfortable  to  her  Majesty's 
representative. 

COLONIZATION  PROSPECTUS. — An  effort  at  colonization  was  made  by 
the  Company.  The  ship  Norman  Morrison  arrived  in  March,  1850, 
landing  eighty  emigrants,  chiefly  miners  who  had  been  engaged  to 
work  in  the  Company's  mines,  so  the  apparent  attempt  to  induce 
settlement  did  not  amount  to  anything.  It  cannot  be  said  that  the 
settlement  of  the  island  made  reasonable  progress ;  nor  is  this  to  be 
wondered  at,  when  the  terms  proposed  to  the  settlers  are  looked  at. 
According  to  the  terms  of  their  charter,  the  Company,  immediately 
after  the  grant  was  confirmed,  had  issued  a  prospectus  and  advertised 
for  colonists.  In  that  prospectus,  the  price  of  land  was  fixed  at  one 
pound  per  acre,  and  for  every  hundred  acres  purchased  at  this  price, 
the  investor  was  obliged  to  bring,  at  his  own  expense,  three  families  or 
six  single  persons.  Only  a  person  of  considerable  means  was  able  to 
take  advantage  of  the  Company's  offer.  (For  prospectus,  see  p.  186.) 

CALIFORNIA  PRICES. — At  the  same  time  land  could  be  purchased  in 
the  United  States  territory,  just  across  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  for  one 
dollar  an  acre.  Another  objection  was,  the  settler  was  completely 
in  the  power  of  the  monopoly.  All  his  supplies  he  had  to  buy  from 
the  Company's  agents,  at  their  prices,  which  were  regulated  by  the 
California  prices,  and  to  the  Company  he  had  to  look  for  a  market 
for  his  produce.  Besides,  he  came  into  competition  with  the  Com- 
pany's traders,  who  were  the  largest  farmers  on  the  island.  The 
result  of  all  this  was,  what  might  have  been  expected,  no  colonization 
worth  mentioning. 

PRETEXT  FOR  LEAVING. — Of  the  unfortunate  few  actual  settlers 
who  did  come  out  the  first  year,  the  greater  number,  after  a  very 
short  time,  left  their  lands  to  try  the  gold  fields;  those  who  remained 
were  at  continual  war  with  the  Company.  A  writer  says  :  "  To  the 
wretched  settler  everything  seemed  to  play  into  the  hands  of  the 


106  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

monopoly,  and  the  very  fact  that  some  abandoned  their  farms  in 
despair  and  went  to  the  gold  fields,  was  given  by  the  Company,  and 
accepted  by  the  Imperial  Government,  as  a  reasonable  excuse  for  the 
failure* to  colonize.  The  weakness  of  this  pretext  was  apparent  to 
all  familiar  with  the  facts,  and  it  was  well  known  that  after  the 
subsidence  of  the  excitement  in  California,  many  who  had  left  the 
mines  would  have  been  only  too  willing  to  take  up  land  and  settle 
an  Vancouver  Island  under  British  rule,  but  were  repelled  by  the 
exorbitant  terms  to  which  they  were  required  to  subscribe." 

The  following  petition  will  show  the  feeling  of  the  settlers  towards 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  : 

^To   his    Excellency    RICHARD    BLANSHARD,    Esquire,    Governor   of 
Vancouver  Island: 

"  MAY  IT  PLEASE  YOUR  EXCELLENCY, — We,  the  undersigned  inhab- 
itants of  Vancouver  Island,  having  learned  with  regret  that  your 
Excellency  has  resigned  the  government  of  this  colony,  and  under- 
standing that  the  government  has  been  committed  to  a  chief  factor 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  cannot  but  express  our  unfeigned 
surprise  and  deep  concern  at  such  an  appointment.  The  Hudson 
Bay  Company  being,  as  it  is,  a  great  trading  body,  must  necessarily 
have  interests  clashing  with  those  of  independent  colonists.  Most 
matters  of  a  political  nature  will  cause  a  contest  between  the  agents 
of  the  Company  and  the  colonists.  Many  matters  of  a  judicial  nature 
will  undoubtedly  arise,  in  which  the  colonists  and  the  Company,  or 
its  servants,  will  be  contending  parties,  or  the  upper  servants  and  the 
lower  servants  of  the  Company  will  be  arrayed  one  against  the 
other.  We  beg  to  express  in  the  most  emphatical  and  plainest 
manner  our  assurance  that  impartial  decisions  cannot  be  expected 
from  a  governor  who  is  not  only  a  member  of  the  Company,  sharing 
its  profits,  his  share  of  such  profits  rising  and  falling  as  they  rise  and 
fall,  but  is  also  charged  as  their  chief  agent  with  the  sole  representa- 
tion of  their  trading  interests  in  this  island  and  the  adjacent  coasts. 

"  Furthermore,  thus  situated  the  colony  will  have  no  security  that 
its  public  funds  will  be  duly  disposed  of  for  the  benefit  of  the  colony 
in  general,  and  not  turned  aside  in  any  degree  to  be  applied  to  the 
private  improvement  of  that  tract  of  land  held  by  them,  or  otherwise 
unduly  employed.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  beg  to  acquaint 
your  Excellency  with  our  deep  sense  of  the  absolute  necessity  there 
is,  for  the  real  good  and  welfare  of  the  colony,  that  a  council  should 
be  immediately  appointed,  in  order  to  provide  some  security  that. the 
interests  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  shall  not  be  allowed  to 
outweigh  and  ruin  those  of  the  colony  in  general.  We,  who  join  in 
expressing  these  sentiments  to  your  Excellency,  are  unfortunately 
but  a  very  small  number,  but  we  respectfully  beg  your  Excellency  to 
consider  that  we,  and  we  alone,  represent  the  interests  of  the  island 


THE   COLONIAL   PERtOD.  197 

as  a  free  and  independent  British  colony,  for  we  constitute  the  whole 
body  of  the  independent  settlers,  all  the  other  inhabitants  being,  in. 
some  way  or  other,  connected  with  and  controlled  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  as  to  be  deprived  of  freedom  of  action  in  all  matters 
relating  to  the  public  affairs  of  the  colony,  some  indeed  by  their  own 
confession,  as  may  be  proved  if  necessary.  And  we  further  allege 
our  firm  persuasion  that  the  untoward  influences  to  which  we  have 
adverted  above  are  likely,  if  entirely  unguarded  against,  not  only  to 
prevent  any  increase  of  free  and  independent  colonists  in  the  island, 
but  positively  to  decrease  their  present  numbers. 

"We  therefore  humbly  request  your  Excellency  to  take  into  your 
gracious  consideration  the  propriety  of  appointing  a  council  before 
your  Excellency's  departure  ;  such  being  the  most  anxious  and  earnest 
desire  of  your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  humble  servants,  and 
her  Majesty's  most  devoted  and  loyal  subjects. 

"  (Signed)  James  Yates,  Robert  Staines,  James  Cooper,  Thomas 
Monroe,  William  MacDonald,  James  Sangster,  John  Muir,  senior, 
William  Fraser,  Andrew  Muir,  John  McGregor,  John  Muir,  junior, 
Michael  Muir,  Robert  Muir,  Archibald  Muir,  Thomas  Blenkhorn." 

PROVISIONAL  COUNCIL  NOMINATED. — Governor  BJanshard,  acting 
on  the  above  petition,  nominated,  on  the  27th  of  August,  James 
Douglas,  Jarnes  Cooper,  and  John  Tod,  a  provisional  council, 
subject  to  the  confirmation  of  the  Imperial  Government,  to  act 
until  the  appointment  of  another  governor.  On  the  18th  o'f 
November,  1850,  he  had  tendered  his  resignation,  and  asked  for 
an  immediate  recall,  on  the  grounds  of  ill-health,  and  also  because 
his  private  fortune  was  "  utterly  insufficient  for  the  mere  cost  of 
living  here,  so  high  have  prices  been  run  up  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  and  as  there  are  no  independent  settlers,  every  requisite 
must  be  obtained  from  them."  Earl  Grey  replied  in  a  letter,  dated 
3rd  April1,  1851,  which  was  not  received  until  August,  accepting 
Blanshard's  resignation  as  governor  of  the  colony. 

ONLY  ONE  LAND  SALE. — In  a  despatch  sent  to  Earl  Grey,  in 
February,  1851,  when  referring  to  the  progress  of  settlement  in 
the  colony,  Governor  Blanshard  remarks  that  only  one  buna  fide 
sale  of  land  had  been  made,  and  that  was  to  W.  C.  Grant.  This 
gentleman  was  formerly  a  captain  of  the  Second  Dragoon  Guards, 
Scots  Greys.  He  had  sold  out  his  commission,  and  in  1849,  brought 
out,  at  his  own  expense,  eight  colonists  to  Vancouver  Island.  The 
settlers  came  by  the  ship  ffarpooneer,  round  Cape  Horn.  Captain 
Grant's  route  was  via  Panama.  In  a  paper  which  he  read  before  the 
London  Geographical  Society,  Captain  Grant  corroborates  the 
governor's  statement,  and  says:  t*  In  June,  1849,  the  first  batch  of 


198  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

colonists  under  this  system  arrived,  and  they  consisted  of  eight  men 
brought  out  by  myself,  and  from  that  day  to  this  not  a  single  other 
iu dependent  colonist  has  come  out  from  the  Old  Country  to  settle  in 
the  island  ;  all  the  other  individuals  who  have  taken  up  land  have 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  Company,  and  brought  out  to  the  country 
at  its  expense." 

CAPTAIN  GRANT'S  COLONY. — The  location  chosen  by  Captain  Grant 
for  his  colony  was  at  Sooke  Harbor,  about  twenty  miles  from  Fort 
Victoria.  He  could  not  obtain  a  suitable  place  nearer  the  fort,  on 
account  of  the  Company's  reserves  and  the  lands  set  apart  for  the 
Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Association.  He  resided  on  his  property 
for  two  years,  then  leased  it  to  Thomas  Monroe  and  others  of  his  men, 
and  left  for  England.  On  being  left  alone,  the  men  became  careless 
and  demoralized,  so  the  captain  on  his  return  found  the  farm 
neglected,  the  land  lying  uncultivated,  and  the  buildings  greatly 
destroyed.  He  sold  the  property  to  the  Muir  family  for  what  he 
could  get  for  it,  and  left  the  country  in  disgust. 

A  LARGE  RESERVE. — Referring  to  the  Puget  Sound  Company's 
reserve,  in  a  despatch  Governor  Blanshard  says  : 

"This  tract,  I  am  informed,  contains  nearly  thirty  square  miles  of  the 
best  part  of  the  island,  and  they  are  already  attempting  to  sell  small 
lots  to  their  own  servants  at  greatly  advanced  rates.  I  consider  this 
an  extremely  unfair  proceeding.  The  terms  of  the  grant  expressly  state 
that  'all  lands  shall  be  sold,  except  such  as  are  reserved  for  public 
purposes,'  and  in  consideration  of  the  trouble  and  expense  they  may 
incur,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  are  allowed  the  very  handsome 
remuneration  of  ten  per  cent,  on  all  sales  they  may  effect  and  on  all 
royalties.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  they  are  grasping  at  the  whole  price 
of  the  land  by  monopolizing  this  vast  district,  making  it  a  free  gift 
to  themselves  and  then  selling  it  for  their  own  profit,  as  they  are 
attempting  to  do.  In  proof  of  this,  f  may  mention  that  an  English- 
man, of  the  name  of  Chancellor,  arrived  here  from  California  a  few 
weeks  ago,  with  the  intention  of  settling.  The  agent  offered  to  sell 
him  land  on  the  '  Company's  reserve,'  which  he  declined,  as  he 
preferred  another  part  of  the  island,  but  found  so  many  difficulties 
thrown  in  the  way  that  at  Inst  he  pronounced  the  purchase 
impracticable,  and  is  leaving  the  colony  in  disgust.  He  told  me  that 
he  was  the  forerunner  of  a  party  of  several  British  subjects  at  present 
in  California,  who  were  merely  waiting  for  his  report  to  decide 
whether  they  would  settle  in  Vancouver  Island  or  the  United  States." 

ANOTHER  GRIEVANCE  the  governor  makes  the  subject  of  a  despatch 
of  the  12th  of  February,  in  reference  to  an  account  presented  to  him 
for  his  approval,  which  he  signed  under  protest.  He  said  : 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  199 

"  The  account  asserts  that  they  have  expended  $2,736,  of  which 
$2, 1 30  are  for  goods  paid  to  Indians  to  extinguish  their  title  to  the  laud 
•about  Victoria  and  Sooke  Harbors,  the  remainder  also  for  goods  paid  to 
Indians  for  work  done  for  the  colony,  provisions  and  ammunition  for 
the  same  Indians.  The  receipts  amount  to  $1,489,  from  which  ten 
per  cent,  is  to  be  deducted  according  to  the  charter  of  grant  to  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  consists  entirely  of  royalties  on  coal  for 
the  last  two  years  ;  land  sales  there  are  none,  as  1  have  previously 
informed  your  Lordship.  On  examining  the  account,  I  found  that 
for  the  goods  paid  to  the  Indians  a  price  was  charged  three  times  as 
great  as  what  they  are  in  the  habit  of  paying  them  at  for  their  own 
work.  Respecting  this,  and  some  inaccuracies  I  detected  in  the 
account,  I  addressed  a  letter  to  the  agent.  He  corrected  the  errors, 
but  made  no  alteration  in  tiie  prices,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
•conversation  gave  me  to  understand  that  they  did  not  expect  the 
charter  of  grant  to  be  renewed  at  the  expiration  of  the  five  years, 
January,  1854,  and  that  they  would  be  entitled  to  a  reimbursement 
of  their  expenditure.  At  this  rate  they  may  continue  for  the  next 
three  years,  paying  away  a  few  goods  to  Indians  to  extinguish  their 
•claims  to  the  soil,  and  by  attaching  an  ideal  value  to  their  goods, 
they  will  at  the  end  of  that  time  appear  as  creditors  of  the  colony  to 
an  overwhelming  amount,  so  that  the  foundation  will  be  laid  of  a 
•colonial  debt,  which  will  forever  prove  a  '  burden.'  " 

SAILED  FOR  ENGLAND. — Nothing  now  remained  for  Governor  Blan- 
shard  to  do  on  the  island,  so  he  took  passage  on  the  ship  Daphne, 
for  Panama,  September  1st,  1851.  He  reached  England  in  due  time, 
and  subsequently  lived  as  a  country  gentleman,  highly  respected, 
on  his  estate  near  London,  dividing  his  time  between  the  country 
residence  and  the  city  mansion.  Towards  the  end  of  his  life  his  eye- 
sight failed,  and  before  his  death  he  became  totally  blind.  He  died, 
June  5th,  1894.  His  will,  when  proved  July  3rd,  showed  his  per- 
sonal estate  valued  at  £130,000,  or  about  $650,000.  His  real  estate 
he  left  to  his  nephew,  Colonel  R.  P.  Davies. 

GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  SWORN  IN. — The  Provisional  Council  were  soon 
relieved  of  their  responsibility,  for  in  the  month  of  November,  1851, 
Chief  Factor  Douglas's  commission  arrived  from  England,  and  he  was 
duly  proclaimed  and  sworn  in  as  governor  of  the  colony  of  Vancouver 
Island.  Governor  Douglas  had  stipulated  for  a  salary  as  governor, 
and  was  allowed  £800  in  addition  to  his  former  emoluments  as  chief 
factor  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  The  machinery  of  the  Company 
was  about  as  perfect  as  it  well  could  be.  Apart  from  the  difficulty 
.of  acting  in  a  dual  capacity,  he  was  well  fitted  for  the  position. 


200  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

A  COMPLIMENTARY  NOTICE. — A  writer  in  "Pool's  Queen  Char- 
lotte Island,"  says  of  him  : 

"  The  long  services  of  Sir  James  Douglas  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  various  tribes  of  natives- 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  requirements  for  developing  the  resources, 
of  this,  the  most  important  colony  of  England  in  the  Pacific,  rendered 
him  at  that  epoch  eminently  qualified  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  governor 
of  our  North-West  American  possessions.  I  have  no  oV>ject  in 
bepraising  him  other  than  a  desire  to  record  my  humble  sense  of  his 
eminent  merits.  But  such  I  know  to  be  the  verdict  of  all  unbiased 
men  who  had  the  advantage  of  living  under  his  wise  and  able 
administration." 

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR  OF  QUEEN  CHARLOTTE  ISLANDS. — On  the  7th 
of  March,  1853,  Governor  Douglas  acknowledges  receipt  of  a  despatch 
(No.  5),  dated  27th  September,  1852,  with  enclosures,  and  says, 
inter  alia  : 

"I  have  received  her  Majesty's  commission  as  lieutenant-governor 
of  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  with  certain  limited  powers  (dated  9th 
July,  1852),  as  therein  described,  and  while  I  return  thanks  for  this- 
high  mark  of  confidence,  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  exercise  for  the 
honor  and  advantage  of  the  Crown,  I  cannot  forbear  expressing  a 
feeling  of  diffidence  in  my  ability  to  discharge  the  duties  of  another 
office,  involving  a  serious  amount  of  labor  and  responsibility,  while  I 
have  no  assistance  whatever  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs  ; 
and  while  every  function  of  the  government,  whether  military,  judicial, 
executive,  or  clerical,  must  be  performed  by  me  alone, — a  range  of 
duties  too  extensive  and  dissimilar  in  their  nature  for  my  unaided 
strength  to  attend  to  with  satisfaction  to  myself  or  advantage  to  the 
public.  I  will,  however,  most  gladly  do  everything  in  my  power 
to  meet  the  views  and  wishes  of  her  Majesty's  Government ;  trusting 
that  you  will  forward,  from  time  to  time,  such  instructions  as  may  be 
necessary  for  my  guidance,  and  a  selection  of  legal  works  containing 
the  forms  of  process  observed  in  the  Yice- Admiralty  Courts,  and 
developing  the  principles  on  which  their  decisions  are  founded.'' 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD. 


201 


CHAPTEE  II. 


GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  NOMINATES  HIS  COUNCIL. 

IN  1853  ONLY  450  WHITE  SETTLERS.  —  Roderick  Finlayson  was 
nominated  one  of  the  Provisional  Council,  in  the  place  of  Douglas 
appointed  governor.  The  work  of  governing  the  few  settlers  was 
not  very  arduous  between  the  years  1851  arid  1856.  It  continued 
without  very  much  friction  until  1854,  wheirthe  first  five  years  of  the 
charter  of  the  island  would  cease,  provided  settlement  did  not  increase. 
To  meet  this  difficulty  several  of  the  leading  officers  of  the  Company, 
including  Douglas,  Work,  Tod,  Tolmie,  and  Finlayson,  purchased 
wild  lands  as  convenient  to  the  fort  as  possible,  paying  at  the  rate 
of  one  pound  per  acre.  Outside  settlers  were  dissatisfied  and  sent  a 
petition  in  1853  to  the  Imperial  Parliament  that  the  grant  be  not 
renewed  to  the  Company.  The  settlers,  in  1853,  numbered  450  white 
men  on  the  island,  300  of  whom  were  at  Victoria,  125  at  Nanaimo, 
and  25  at  Fort  Rupert.  Up  to  that  time  19,807  acres  of  land  had 
been  applied  for,  10,172  being  for  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  2,374 
for  the  Puget  Sound  Company,  and  the  rest  for  private  individuals. 

The  increase  of  population  now  pointed  to 
the  necessity  of  a  judicial  functionary.  Mr. 
DAVID  CAMERON,  of  Nanaimo,  was  appointed 
Chief  Justice  of  the  colony — salary.  £100  per 
annum.  The  appointment  was  ratified  by 
the  home  Government.  The  Chief  Justice 
removed  to  Victoria  in  1854.  Previous  to 
this  there  had  been  neither  judiciary  nor 
constabulary,  excepting  Dr.  Helmcken,  who 
was  appointed  first  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in 
1850,  bv  Governor  Blanshard.  Chief  Justice 

DAVID   CAMERON.  » 

Cameron    was   superseded    in    1858    by    Mr. 

Needham,  who,  in  1859,  was  transferred  to  fill  a  similar  position  in 
the  Island  of  Trinidad,  West  Indies.  Mr.  Justice  Needham  was 
knighted,  and  was  succeeded  by  Sir  Matthew  B.  Begbie,  who  continued 


SIR    MATTHEW    KKttBIK. 


202  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

to  fill  the  position  of  Chief  Justice  of  British  Columbia  until  his 
death,  which  took  place  June  llth,  1894,  in  the  seventy-fifth  year 
of  his  age. 

SIR  MATTHEW  was  accorded  a  public  funeral.  The  funeral  service 
was  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jenns,  in  St.  John's  Church,  where 
Sir  Matthew  had  worshipped  since  1860. 
The  church  was  heavily  draped  and  hand- 
somely decorated  with  flowers.  A  simple, 
black  covering,  relieved  by  a  neat  cross  of 
passion  flowers,  marked  the  late  Chief  Jus- 
tice's seat  in  the  choir.  The  pall-bearers  were 
Hon.  A.  N.  Richards,  Q.C.,  D.  R.  Harris, 
Hon.  J.  S.  Helmcken,  M.D.,  Justices  Crease, 
McCreight  and  Drake,  Hon  T.  Davie,  Q.C., 
Premier,  Hon.  J.  H.  Turner,  and  Hon.  C.  E. 
Pooley,  Q.C.  Chief  mourners,  Hon.  P. 
O'Rielly  and  Dr.  O.  M.  Jones.  His  Honor 
the  Lieutenant-Governor  and  Admiral  Stephenson  occupied  the 
carriage  next  to  the  chief  mourners.  Among  the  clergy  present  were 
his  Lordship  Bishop  Perrin,  who  pronounced  the  benediction  at  the 
grave ;  Revs.  Canon  Beanlands,  Hewitson,  Lipscome,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Norwood,  of  the  Royal  Arthur. 

An  obituary  notice  says :  "  In  the  decease  of  Sir  Matthew  Baillie 
Begbie,  not  only  a  pioneer  of  pioneers  is  missing,  but  a  figure  and 
personality  indissolubly  and  actively  associated  with  the  very  begin- 
ning of  this  province,  and  its  subsequent  affairs  and  history  up  to  the 
present  time.  Born  in  Edinburgh  in  1819,  Sir  Matthew  was  the 
eldest  son  of  Colonel  T.  S.  Begbie  of  her  Majesty's  44th  Foot.  St. 
Peter's  College,  Cambridge,  was  his  Alma  Mater,  where  he  took  the 
degree  of  B.A.  in  1841,  and  that  of  M.A.  three  years  later,  in  1844, 
in  which  year  he  was  called  to  the  bar  in  Lincoln's  Inn.  He  prac- 
tised his  profession  till  1858,  when,  owing  to  the  ability  he  had 
displayed  while  a  barrister,  he  received  the  appointment  of  judge  of 
the  court  of  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island.  British  Columbia  was 
then  limited  to  the  mainland.  In  August,  1866,  the  order-in-council 
uniting  Vancouver  Island  to  British  Columbia  was  passed  by  the 
Imperial  Government,  but  it  was  not  proclaimed  here  till  November 
17th,  and  simultaneously  Mr.  Begbie  was  created  Chief  Justice  of 
the  united  colony,  succeeding  Mr.  Justice  (afterwards  Sir  Joseph) 
Needham.  Under  the  provisions  of  the  British  North  America  Act, 
the  practice  and  the  constitution  of  the  courts  of  law  in  British  Col- 
umbia remained  unchanged  when  this  country  entered  the  Canadian 
confederation  in  1871,  consequently  Mr.  Begbie  continued  in  the 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  203 

office  of  Chief  Justice,  with  the  added  honor  of  knighthood,  which 
was  conferred  upon  him  for  services  which  all  acknowledged  to  have 
been  of  incalculable  value  to  the  country,  its  safety  and  well-being, 
and  the  performance  of  which  at  certain  times  involved  serious 
personal  danger  and  frequently  the  risk  of  his  life.  In  the  early  days, 
until  the  arrival  of  Attorney-General  Carey,  Sir  Matthew  was  also 
general  adviser  to  Sir  James  Douglas,  who  was  governor  of  both 
colonies.  Sir  Matthew  was  a  bachelor." 

On  the  morning  of  the  funeral,  a  large  number  of  the  members  of 
the  Victoria  bar  met  in  the  court  house  to  pass  a  resolution  of 
condolence,  which  was  adopted  unanimously,  as  follows  : 

"Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  bar  now  assembled,  on  behalf 
of  themselves  and  brethren  throughout  the  Province,  express  their 
deep  sorrow  at  the  death  of  Sir  Matthew  Baillie  Begbie,  Knight,  late 
the  Chief  Justice  of  British  Columbia. 

"Throughout  a  long  life  he  occupied  a  distinguished  position  as  a 
lawyer  ar*d  a  judge,  and,  although  he  reached  an  advanced  age,  he 
was,  up  to  within  a  few  weeks  of  his  death,  actively  engaged  in  the 
performance  of  the  duties  pertaining  to  his  high  office. 

"  His  removal  takes  away  one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  con- 
nected with  the  early  history  of  this  province,  a  man  whose  strong 
individuality  and  uprightness  have  left  a  lasting  impress  upon  every 
branch  of  our  judicial  system. 

"  At  a  period  when  firmness  and  discretion  in  the  administration 
of  justice  were  most  needed,  his  wise  and  fearless  action  as  a  judge 
caused  the  law  to  be  honored  and  obeyed  in  every  quarter. 

"  When  the  settlement  of  the  country  advanced,  and  the  necessity 
for  preventing  lawless  outbreaks  became  less  frequent,  he,  as  the 
Chief  Justice  of  our  Supreme  Court,  manifested  an  ability  which 
showed  that  his  intellectual  faculties  were  as  keen  and  active  as  his 
character  was  stable  and  commanding. 

"He  was  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  and  his  versatility  of 
talent  evoked  the  admiration  of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him. 

"As  a  judge,  the  tendency  of  his  thought  was  eminently  logical, 
his  judgment  was  prompt  and  decisive,  his  integrity  was  never 
questioned. 

"  His  private  life  was  in  every  way  worthy  of  his  public  position. 
Plain  and  unassuming  in  manner,  courteous  and  dignified  in  his 
speech,  loyal  to  his  companions,  firm  in  his  friendships,  of  a  generous 
and  sympathetic  nature,  unostentatiously  good  and  silently  charitable, 
he  will  be  missed  not  only  by  his  professional  associates,  but  by  many 
who  knew  him  only  as  a  kind  and  steadfast  friend. 

"  He  has  departed  from  us  full  of  years  and  honors,  but  his  memory 
will  remain  as  that  of  one  whose  judicial  career  has  been  without 
stain,  and  whose  personal  worth  has  won  our  deepest  respect  and 
affection/' 


204-  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

PETITION  FROM  SETTLERS. — The  petition  referred  to,  from  the- 
settlers,  asked  that  the  Company's  grant  should  not  be  renewed  at 
the  expiration  of  the  live  years'  term,  and  that  the  island  be  taken 
under  the  immediate  management  of  the  Imperial  Government.  It 
also  asked  that  a  governor  and  subordinate  functionaries  be  appointed 
and  paid  by  the  British  Government ;  that  courts  of  justice  be 
established  ;  that  the  House  of  Assembly  consist  of  nine  members,  to- 
be  elected  every  three  years;  that  the  executive  council  be  separated 
from  the  legislative  ;  that  the  elective  franchise,  then  only  enjoyed 
by  persons  holding  twenty  acres  of  land,  be  extended  to  include 
persons  occupying  houses,  or  paying  rent  to  the  extent  of  ten  pounds 
per  annum,  or  owning  farm  lands  to  the  extent  of  ten  pounds,  or 
city  property  to  the  value  of  twenty  pounds;  and  that  the  price  of 
public  lands  be  reduced  to  ten  shillings  per  acre,  payable  in  five 
annual  instalments,  interest  at  the  rate  of  five  per  cent,  per  annum. 
LICENSES  FOR  REVENUE. — Governor  Douglas  and  his  council  of 
three  framed  the  laws  and  executed  them.  The  revenue  of  the  colony 
was  small,  derived  from  the  sales  of  lands  and  from  houses  licensed 
to  sell  spirituous  liquor.  The  public-house  keepers  each,  on  payment 
of  a  license  of  $600  per  annum,  could  deal  in  spirituous  liquors 
with  only  one  restriction — they  were  not  allowed  to  sell  to 
Indians.  The  imposition  of  the  tax  on  licensed  houses  was  discussed 
in  the  council  for  some  days  before  a  decision  was  arrived  at. 
Finally,  the  tax  of  $600  was  levied  on  each  of  three  retail  dealers, 
and  one  was  taken  out  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  Notwith- 
standing the  settlers'  petition  against  renew- 
ing the  charter  of  the  island  to  the  Com- 
pany, it  was  renewed  for  another  five  years. 
The  expenditure  of  the  colony  in  1855  was 
about  $20,000.  Up  to  the  19th  of  July, 
1855,  the  total  amount  received  from  land 
sales  was  £6,871  9s.  4d.  The  moneys  re- 
ceived by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  were 
remitted  to  London. 

NEW  LEGISLATURE. — The  time  had  now 
arrived  when  a  legislature  should  be  estab- 
lished in  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island  in 
accordance  with  British  law  and  practice.  To  accomplish  this,  Mr. 
Labouchere,  Secretary  of  State  for  Britain,  sent  instructions  on  28th 
February,  1856,  to  Governor  Douglas,  instructing  him  to  at  once  call 


CAPTAIN   JAMES   COOPER. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  205 

together,  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  his  commission,  a  meeting 
of  his  council,  which  at  the  time  consisted  of  John  Tod,  senior  mem- 
ber, James  Cooper,  Roderick  Finlayson  and  John  Grant.  The  result 
was  the  issuing  of  a  proclamation,  on  the  IGtlj  of  June,  1856,  dividing 
the  island  into  four  electoral  districts,  apportioning  the  number  of 
representatives  and  appointing  returning  officers  for  each.  The  four 
•districts  were  :  Victoria,  to  be  represented  by  three  members,  Andrew 
Muir,  returning  officer;  Esquimalt  and  Metchosin,  two  members, 
H.  W.  0.  Margary,  returning  officer;  Nanaimo,  one  member,  C.  E. 
Stewart,  returning  officer ;  Sooke.  one  member,  John  Muir,  jun., 
returning  officer. 

WRITS  CALLING  A  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  of  freeholders,  for  the  purpose 
of  electing  members  to  serve  in  the  Assembly,  were  made  returnable 
on  the  4th  of  August  following.  The  qualification  of  members  who 
might  offer  for  election  was  placed  at  "  ownership  of  freehold  to  the 
amount  of  £300  or  more."  The  property  qualification  of  voters 
remained  as  fixed  in  the  governor's  commission,  namely,  "  twenty 
acres  or  more  of  freehold  land."  Governor  Douglas  wrote  to  the 
Secretary  of  State  :  "  There  will  be  some  difficulty  in  finding  properly 
qualified  representatives,  and  I  fear  that  our  early  attempts  at  legisla- 
tion will  make  a  sorry  figure,  though  at  all  events  they  will  have  the 
effect  you  contemplate  of  removing  all  doubts  as  to  the  validity  of 
our  local  enactments." 

ELECTIONS  WERE  DULY  HELD,  according  to  the  notices.  In  three 
of  the  districts,  however,  the  electors  were  so  few  in  number  that  the 
returns  were  little  more  than  mere  nominations. 

DR.  HELMCKEN  having  been  nominated  for  Esquimalt  District, 
made  the  following  speech,  the  first  political  speech  made  by  the 
Doctor,  and  the  first  on  record  made  in  the  colony.  On  rising,  being 
received  with  hearty  cheers,  he  said  : 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  love  to  hear  that  British  cheer  once  more.  It  is 
long,  long  since  I  listened  to  its  music.  That  cheer  has  been  the 
terror  of  many  a  foreign  foe,  in  many  a  bloody  fray ;  that  cheer  has 
urged  many  a  patriot  onwards  in  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  fostered 
efforts  for  his  country's  good ;  that  cheer,  gentlemen,  has  taken  away 
much  of  the  diffidence  I  felt  in  placing  myself  before  you. 

"  Gentlemen,  it  is  not  an  unusual  thing  to  see  me  at  Craigflower 
about  this  time  of  the  day,  but  on  this  occasion  the  circumstances,  as 
you  have  heard,  are  peculiar  and  not  professional.  I  hold  in  my 
hand  a  paper  signed  by  the  most  influential  and  respectable  electors 
of  this  district,  requesting  that  I  would  allow  myself  to  be  put  in 


206  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

nomination  as  one  of  their  members  for  the  forthcoming  Legislative 
Assembly,  and,  gentlemen,  after  reading  this  invitation,  and  finding 
it  signed  by  at  least  one-half  of  the  electors,  I  at  once  resolved  to 
throw  away  all  private  reasons,  all  private  interests,  and  devote  me 
to  my  public  duty.  I  determined  to  quit  my  hitherto  quiet  and 
unobtrusive  life,  to  launch  upon  the  stormy  ocean  of  politics,  and  to 
brave  the  restless  sea  of  public  opinion.  Whether  I  have  been  right 
in  so  doing,  remains  for  you,  electors  of  Esquimalt,  to  determine  this 
day — a  day  historical,  a  day  glorious  in  the  annals  of  this  island  ;  a 
day  bright  as  the  sun  that  shines  o'er  our  heads,  and  almost  equally 
portentious  in  its  course ;  a  day  that  the  little  ones,  who  now  sur- 
round these  hustings,  will  talk  of,  when  we  shall  be  no  more ! 

"Gentlemen,  there  is  another  reason  that  had  its  weight.  I  was 
given  to  understand — -and  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken — that  it  was 
somewhat  difficult  to  find  or  to  get  the  requisite  number  of  members 
to  constitute  the  Assembly. 

"Gentlemen,  this  is  not  the  way  our  forefathers  struggled  for 
freedom  ;  this  is  not  the  way  in  which  our  ancestors  wrenched  their 
rights  from  tyrant  hands  ;  this  is  not  the  way  by  which  liberty  was 
advanced,  even  in  our  own  day,  but  by  more  constitutional  means. 

"  Gentlemen,  how  disgraceful  it  would  have  been  to  Britons  to 
have  a  document  go  home,  stating  it  was  impossible  to  constitute  an 
Assembly  in  this  colony  !  When,  indeed,  would  you  have  had  the 
privilege  granted  again?  In  some  measure  to  prevent  such  a  dis- 
grace, and  to  keep  the  privileges  so  liberally,  and  at  an  unusually 
early  period,  bestowed  by  our  Mother  Country,  I  resolved  to  throw 
myself  into  the  gap  and  try  to  save  this,  our  infant  country. 

"  Electors  of  Esquimalt.  yon  have  been,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  too 
lukewarm  in  this  aH'air.  Is  it  for  you,  Englishmen,  to  despise  these 
rights  so  hardly  gained  by  your  forefathers,  and  almost  sanctified  by 
their  blood  1  Is  it  for  you,  sons  of  '  Bonnie  Scotland,'  frae  Maiden- 
kirk  to  '  John  o'  Groats,' — I  say,  is  it  for  you  to  despise  these  privi- 
leges, which  your  friends  and  countrymen  deem  their  greatest  honor, 
and  are  proud  to  own  ? 

"Gentlemen,  I  trust  you  will  pardon  this  digression — a  digression 
caused  by  the  excitement  of  the  occasion. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  offer  myself  to  you.  I  am,  it  is  true,  a  little  man, 
but  with  a  head  large  enough,  and  1  hope  it  contains  sufficient  sense 
to  know  what  may  be  for  your  interest,  what  for  your  detriment.  I 
am  not  vain  or  egotistic  enough  to  suppose  myself  the  best  man,  but 
such  as  I  am,  if  you  like,  I'm  yours. 

"  It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  enter  upon  any  political  disquisi- 
tion. I  know  not  of  any  great  political  question  requiring  discussion  ; 
we  have  no  parties  or  party  purposes  to  serve,  but  should  you  wish 
to  ask  any  questions,  or  require  any  explanation,  I  shall  be  most 
happy  to  satisfy  you  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

"Electors  of  Esquimalt,  I  now  ask  your  votes  and  suffrages;  if 
you  consider  they  may  be  entrusted  to  my  keeping,  I  can  only  say 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD.  207 

that  to  such  measures  as  may  be  brought  forward  calculated  to 
advance  your  interest  and  the  interest  of  the  colony  generally,  I  will 
give  my  hearty  and  undivided  support ;  but  such  measures  as  may 
be  deemed  to  your  detriment  and  injurious  to  your  welfare,  shall 
receive  my  strenuous  and  determined  opposition. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  have  finished.  I  know  not  what  powers  have  been 
granted  to  the  Assembly,  but  hope  we  shall  learn  soon  enough.  If 
you  think  me  worthy  of  your  confidence,  and  elect  me  to  serve  you 
in  this,  the  first  parliament,  I  shall  feel  proud,  and  deem  the  honor 
great,  but  if  you  find  any  other  candidate  more  to  your  taste,  more 
fit,  more  talented  or  more  disinterested,  I  will  retire  without  chagrin, 
and  not  bear  malice  or  ill-will  against  any  man." 

There  were  five  rival  candidates  in  Victoria,  who  fiercely  contested 
for  the  honor  of  being  the  first  representatives  in  the  new  Assembly. 
The  members  returned  for  Victoria  were  J.  D.  Pemberton,  Joseph 
Yates,  and  E.  E.  Langford.  The  others  were  returned  by  acclama- 
tion, viz.  :  John  Muir,  Sooke  District ;  John  F.  Kennedy,  Nanaimo 
District;  and  Thomas  Skinner  and  J.  S.  Helmcken,  Esquimalt  Dis- 
trict. The  first  Assembly  met  on  the  12th  of  August,  1856.  Dr. 
Helmcken  was  chosen  Speaker. 

GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  delivered  the  following  address  in  a  dignified 
and  impressive  manner  : 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Legislative  Council  and  of  the  House  of  Assembly  : 

"I  congratulate  you  most  sincerely  on  this  memorable  occasion — 
the  meeting  in  full  convention  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Vancouver 
Island,  an  event  fraught  with  consequences  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  its  present  and  future  inhaV)itants,  and  remarkable  as  the  first 
instance  of  representative  institutions  being  granted  in  the  infancy 
of  a  British  colony.  The  history  and  actual  position  of  this  colony 
are  marked  by  many  other  remarkable  circumstances.  Called  into 
existence  by  an  Act  of  the  Supreme  Government,  immediately  after 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  it  has  maintained  an  arduous  and 
incessant  struggle  with  the  disorganizing  effects  on  labor  of  that 
discovery.  Remote  from  every  other  British  settlement,  wiih  its 
commerce  trammelled,  and  met  by  restrictive  duties  on  every  side, 
its  trade  and  resources  remain  undeveloped.  Self-supporting,  and 
defraying  all  the  expenses  of  its  own  government,  it  presents  a 
striking  contrast  to  every  other  colony  in  the  British  empire,  and, 
like  the  native  pines  of  its  storm-beaten  promontories,  it  has  acquired 
a  slow  but  hardy  growth.  Its  future  growth  must,  under  Providence, 
in  a  great  measure  depend  on  the  intelligence,  industry  and  enterprise 
of  its  inhabitants,  and  upon  the  legislative  wisdom  of  this  Assembly. 

"Gentlemen,  I  look  forward  with  confidence  and  satisfaction  to  the 
aid  and  support  which  the  executive  power  may  in  the  future  expect 


208  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

to  derive  from  your  local  experience  and  knowledge  of  the  wishes  of 
the  people  and  the  wants  of  the  country.  I  feel  assured  that  as 
public  men,  holding  a  solemn  and  momentous  trust,  you  will,  as  a 
governing  principle,  strive  with  one  accord  to  promote  the  true  and 
substantial  interests  of  the  country  ;  and  that  our  legislative  labors 
will  be  distinguished  alike  by  prudence,  temperance,  and  justice  to 
all  classes. 

"Gentlemen,  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment continues  to  express  the  most  lively  interest  in  the  progress 
and  welfare  of  this  colony.  Negotiations  are  now  pe'nding  with  the 
Government  of  the  United  States,  which  may  probably  terminate  in 
an  extension  of  the  reciprocity  treaty  to  Vancouver  Island.  To  show 
the  commercial  advantages  connected  with  that  treaty,  I  will  just 
mention  that  an  impost  of  thirty  pounds  is  levied  on  every  hundred 
pounds  of  British  produce  which  is  now  sent  to  San  Francisco  or  to 
any  other  American  port.  The  reciprocity  treaty  utterly  abolishes 
these  fearful  imposts,  and  establishes  a  system  of  free  trade  in  the 
produce  of  British  colonies.  The  effects  of  that  measure  in  develop- 
ing the  trade  and  natural  resources  of  the  colony  can,  therefore,  be 
hardly  over-estimated.  The  coal,  the  timber,  and  the  productive 
fisheries  of  Vancouver  Island  will  assume  a  value  before  unknown, 
while  every  branch  of  trade  will  start  into  activity  and  become  the 
means  of  pouring  wealth  into  the  country.  So  unbounded  is  the 
reliance  which  I  place  in  the  enterprise  and  intelligence  possessed  by 
the  people  of  this  colony,  and  in  the  advantages  of  their  geographical 
position,  that  with  equal  rights  and  a  fair  field,  I  think  they  may 
enter  into  a  successful  competition  with  the  people  of  any  other 
-country.  The  extension  of  the  reciprocity  treaty  to  this  island  once 
gained,  the  interests  of  the  colony  will  become  inseparably  connected 
with  the  principles  of  free  trade,  a  system  which  I  think  it  will  be 
•sound  policy  on  our  part  to  encourage. 

"Gentlemen,  the  colony  has  been  again  visited  this  year  by  a  large 
party  of  northern  Indians,  and  their  presence  has  excited  in  our 
minds  a  not  unreasonable  degree  of  alarm.  Through  the  blessing  of 
God  they  have  been  kept  from  committing  acts  of  open  violence,  and 
been  quiet  and  orderly  in  their  deportment ;  yet  the  presence  of  large 
bodies  of  armed  savages,  who  have  never  felt  the  restraining  influ- 
ences of  moral  and  religious  training,  and  who  are  accustomed  to 
follow  the  impulses  of  their  own  evil  natures  more  than  the  dictation 
of  reason  or  justice,  gives  rise  to  a  feeling  of  insecurity  which  must 
exist  as  long  as  the  colony  remains  without  military^  protection. 
Her  Majesty's  Government,  ever  alive  to  the  dangers  which  beset  the 
colony,  have  arranged  with  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty 
that  the  President  frigate  should  be  sent  to  Vancouver  Island,  and 
the  measure  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  be  carried  into  effect  without 
delay.  I  shall,  nevertheless,  continue  to  conciliate  the  good-will  of 
the  native  Indian  tribes  by  treating  them  with  justice  and  forbear- 
.ance,  and  by  rigidly  protecting  their  civil  and  agrarian  rights.  Many 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  209 

•cogent  reasons  of  humanity  and  sound  policy  recommend  that  course 
to  our  attention,  and  I  shall  therefore  rely  upon  your  support  in 
-carrying  such  measures  into  effect.  We  know,  from  our  own  expe- 
rience, that  the  friendship  of  the  natives  is  at  all  times  useful,  while 
it  is  no  less  certain  that  their  enmity  may  become  more  disastrous 
than  any  other  calamity  to  which  the  colony  is  directly  exposed. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  according  to  constitutional 
usage  you  must  originate  all  money  bills.  It  is  therefore  your  special 
province  to  consider  the  ways  and  means  of  defraying  the  ordinary 
-expenses  of  the  Government,  either  by  levying  a  customs  duty  on 
imports,  or  by  a  system  of  direct  taxation.  The  poverty  of  the 
country  and  the  limited  means  of  a  population  struggling  against  the 
pressure  of  numberless  privations,  must  necessarily  restrict  the 
amount  of  taxation  ;  it  should,  therefore,  b£  our  constant  study  to 
'regulate  the  public  expenditure  according  to  the  means  of  the  country, 
and  to  live  strictly  within  our  income.  The  common  error  of  running 
into  speculative  improvements,  entailing  debts  upon  the  colony  for  a 
very  uncertain  advantage,  should  be  carefully  avoided.  The  demands 
upon  the  public  revenue  will,  at  present,  chiefly  arise  from  the 
improvement  of  the  country,  and  providing  for  the  education  of  the 
young,  the  erection  of  places  for  public  worship,  the  defence  of  the 
country,  and  the  administration  of  justice. 

"Gentlemen,  I  feel,  in  all  its  force,  the  responsibility  now  resting 
upon  us.  The  interests  and  well-being  of  thousands  yet  unborn  may 
be  affected  by  our  decisions,  and  they  will  reverence  or  condemn  our 
acts  according  as  they  are  found  to  influence,  for  good  or  evil,  the 
events  of  the  future. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  I  have  appointed  Chief 
Justice  Cameron  to  administer  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  members 
of  your  House,  and  to  receive  your  declarations  of  qualification ;  you 
may  then  proceed  to  choose  a  Speaker  and  to  appoint  the  officers 
necessary  for  the  proper  conduct  of  the  business  of  the  House. 

"JAMES  DOUGLAS,  Governor" 

THE  SPEECH  PROM  THE  THRONE  was  received  with  great  attention. 
It  referred,  as  will  be  seen,  to  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the 
representatives ;  to  the  prospective  growth  of  the  country,  its  geo- 
graphical position  for  the  advantages  of  trade,  etc.  The  place  of  one 
of  the  members  for  Victoria  District,  Mr.  Langford,  was  declared 
vacant,  on  the  ground  of  his  not  possessing  property  qualification.  Mr. 
J.  W.  McKay  was  elected  in  his  stead.  The  Assembly  was  in  full 
working  order  by  the  13th  of  November.  On  December  18th,  a  bill 
was  passed  granting  £130  for  the  payment  of  the  ordinary  expenses 
of  the  House;  and  on  the  9th  of  January,  1857,  Governor  Douglas 
writes  to  the  Secretary  of  State :  "  I  am  now  preparing  a  bill  for 
imposing  a  customs  duty  on  imports,  as  a  means  of  meeting  the 
14 


210 


HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


ordinary  expenses  of  the  Government;  but  the  subject  must  be- 
approached  witli  caution,  as  there  is  a  very  general  feeling  in  both 
Council  and  Assembly  against  taxation  in  any  form,  and  I  am 
prepared  to  encounter  much  clamor  and  opposition  in  carrying  so 
unpopular  a  measure  through  the  House." 

A  HAPPY  FAMILY. — Bancroft  in  his  "  History  of  British  Columbia," 


No.  1,  DR.  HELMCKEN  in  1894,  and  also  No.  7  in  1856 ;  No.  3,  J.  W.  McKxv  in  1894,  and  No.  5 
in  1856;  No.  6,  J.  D.  PEMBERTON  ;  No.  2,  J.  YATES  ;  No.  4,  THOS.  SKINNER,  1856. 

gives  the  following  version:  "They  were,  forsooth,  a  happy  family, 
those  fur-hunting  legislators.  The  Douglas  was  all  in  all  lord  para- 
mount, dominator,  imperial  viceroy  and  fur-trader's  factor-in-chief. 
Work.  Finiayson  and  Tod,  chief  factor,  chief  trader,  and  ancient 
pensioner,  respectively,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  comprised  both 
secret  council  and  house  of  lords.  The  'seven  wise  men,'  repre- 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  211 

senting  the  seven  districts  of  the  island,  as  a  House  of  Assembly, 
were,  in  their  several  vocations,  almost  wholly  of  the  monopoly. 
Helmcken,  was  staff  doctor  of  the  Company ;  Pemberton,  surveyor 
and  ardent  attache ;  McKay,  clerk  of  the  Company ;  Muir,  former 
servant  of  the  Company  and  father  of  the  sheriff;  Skinner,  agent  of 
the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company ;  Kennedy,  a  retired  officer 
of  the  Company,  appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Council  to  represent 
the  District  of  Nanaimo ;  Yates,  by  the  grace  of  the  Company,  mer- 
chant. D.  Cameron,  brother-in-law  of  the  governor,  was  chief  justice, 
and  A.  C.  Anderson,  retired  chief  trader,  was  collector  of  customs. 
Thus,"  continues  Bancroft,  "the  Government  of  Vancouver  Island 
continued  until  1859,  at  which  time  terminated  the  second  five  years 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  colonial  domination.  During  his 
term  of  office,  four  distinct  and  often  antagonistic  interests  looked  to 
Douglas  as  their  head ;  namely,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  fur 
trade,  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island,  the  Puget  Sound  Agricul- 
tural Company,  and  the  Nanaimo  Coal  Company.  It  was  impossible 
for  him  to  do  justice  to  each  of  these  several  trusts." 

INDIVIDUAL  VIEWS. — At  this  late  date  it  would  be  difficult  to  say 
positively  whether  the  seven  new  members  were  a  "  happy  family." 
The  result  of  the  management  of  affairs  in  the  colony  during  the 
time  which  had  passed  since  Governor  Douglas  was  appointed,  does 
not  indicate  that  because  some  of  them  were  related  to  the  governor, 
or  had  at  one  time  been  servants  of  the  Company,  unfitted  them  for 
the  positions  they  were  called  upon  to  occupy.  Several  of  those  were 
evidently  opposed  to  the  Company,  and  frequently  expressed  their 
views  and  opinions  fearlessly  and  openly  against  them.  The  governor 
had  to  fill  a  most  difficult  position.  He  had  but  few  to  choose  from. 
Nearly  every  white  man  in  the  colony  had  been  brought  there  by  the 
Company.  The  Imperial  Government  must  have  been  satisfied  with 
his  administration,  when  later  they  appointed  him  to  the  governor- 
ship of  the  mainland  in  addition  to  that  of  Vancouver  Island.  The 
formation  of  the  new  Assembly  provided  a  way  of  raising  revenue  by 
taxation,  by  giving  the  parties  taxed  a  voice  in  the  matter  of 
representation,  which  they  did  not  formerly  possess  when  licenses 
were  placed  on  liquor  dealers  by  the  governor  and  his  provisional 
council. 

REV.  R.  J.  STAINES. — One  of  the  leading  men  who,  after  a  time, 
opposed  the  Company,  was  the  Rev.  Robt.  J.  Staines,  who  came  from 
England  in  1849,  as  chaplain  to  the  Company  at  Fort  Victoria.  He 


212  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  and  together  were  to  teach  and  keep  a 
boarding  school,  etc.  They  taught  the  first  school  in  Victoria.  Mr. 
Finlayson  speaking  of  them  says  : 

"  At  this  time  there  were  no  streets,  and  the  traffic  cut  up  the 
thoroughfares  so  that  everyone  had  to  wear  sea  boots  to  wade  through 
the  mud  and  inire.  It  was  my  duty  to  receive  the  clergyman,  which 
Ii  did,  but  felt  ashamed  to  see  the  lady  come  ashore.  We  had  to  lay 
planks  through  the  mud  in  order  to  get  them  safely  to  the  fort.  They 
looked  wonderingly  at  the  bare  walls  of  the  building,  and  expressed 
deep  surprise,  stating  that  the  Company  in  England  had  told  them 
this  and  that,  and  had  promised  them  such  and  such. 

"  At  all  events  the  rooms  were  fitted  up  as  best  could  be  done. 
Mr.  Staines  had  been  guaranteed  £340  a  year  for  keeping  a  boarding 
school,  and  ,£200  as  chaplain.  The  services  were  carried  on  in  the 
mess-room  of  the  fort,  which  was  made  to  serve  for  almost  every 
purpose.  Here  also  was  erected  a  temporary  pulpit,  and  prayers  were 
held  every  Sunday.  Staines  purchased  some  land  on  the  same  condi- 
tions as  others ;  but  he  too  became  much  dissatisfied  with  things, — 
with  Douglas  and  his  administration  as  governor  of  the  colony. 

"  Mr.  Staines  quarrelled  with  the  Company,"  Bancroft  states, 
"  accusing  them  of  failure  to  keep  their  promises  with  him,  more 
particularly  in  the  matter  of  the  prices  of  goods,  which,  he  had  been 
assured  before  leaving  London,  should  be  furnished  him  at  servants' 
rates,  that  is,  fifty  per  cent,  on  cost ;  instead  of  which  he  was  in  reality 
charged,  in  some  instances,  two  thousand  per  cent,  profit.  Hence  he 
found  it  hard  to  ask  a  blessing  on  their  mercenary  souls  ;  and  although 
obliged  to  do  so  twice  or  thrice  every  week,  or  forfeit  his  pay, 
inwardly  he  cursed  them.  But  to  the  Company  his  blessing  and  his 
curse  were  one.  It  was  out  of  regard  for  public  sentiment,  to  which 
even  the  most  powerful  monopoly  cannot  afford  to  be  wholly  indif- 
ferent, that  the  fur-traders  tolerated  gospel  ministers,  rather  than  in 
the  expectation  that  the  arm  of  Omnipotence  would  be,  through  such 
means,  swayed  more  especially  in  their  interests.  At  an  early  day 
Mr.  Staines  joined  the  settlers'  faction  and  waged  open  war  on  the 
Company,  still  continuing,  however,  his  heavenly  ministrations." 

DEATH  OF  MR.  STAINES. — Dissatisfaction  reached  such  a  pitch 
amongst  the  settlers  that  they  resolved  to  send  Mr.  Staines  to 
England  (1853)  to  remonstrate  with  the  Imperial  authorities  upon 
the  injustice  of  continuing  what  they  called,  "so  tyrannical  a  rule." 
It  was  arranged  that  he  should  leave  by  a  certain  vessel,  which  was 
to  sail  from  Sooke  at  a  given  time,  but  not  arriving  as  agreed  the 
vessel  left  without  him.  Shortly  afterwards  another  vessel  was 
leaving  Sooke  for  San  Francisco,  and  on  her  Mr.  Staines  embarked. 
Scarcely,  however,  had  the  ship  cleared  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  off  Cape 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  213 

Flattery,  when  a  squall  struck  her,  throwing  her  on  her  beam  ends. 
Instantly  she  was  water-logged  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  Most 
of  the  crew  were  at  once  swept  overboard.  Mr.  Staines,  who  was 
below,  remained  there  until  he  died.  The  only  survivor  of  the  wreck 
was  rescued  by  a  passing  ship.  He  furnished  particulars  of  the  sad 
accident,  but  being  greatly  exhausted  by  fatigue  and  exposure,  died 
soon  after  his  rescue. 

REMINISCENCES. — In  "  Reminiscences  of  1850,"  a  gentleman  writing 
in  1887  refers  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staines  in  Fort  Victoria.  Describing 
14  Bachelor's  Hall,"  he  says  :  "  It  was  a  portion  of  a  large  story -and-a- 
half  building,  having  a  common  room  in  the  centre,  and  two  rooms 
on  each  side,  with  a  door  opening  into  each.  One  of  these  rooms 
was  occupied  as  the  'surgery/  the  other  two  rooms  by  officers  of  the 
Company.  The  remainder  of  the  building  (it  occupied  the  site  of  the 
now  Bank  of  British  Columbia)  belonged  to  the  chaplain  and  lady, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staines,  who  kept  a  boarding-school  for  young  ladies 
therein — and  a  splendid  teacher  and  preceptress  she  was."  Mrs. 
Staines,  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Staines,  returned  to 
England. 

The  same  writer,  in  his  reminiscences,  also  states  that  in  March, 
1850,  he  happened  to  spend  a  day  in  Victoria  when  the  ship  Norman 
Morrison  had  arrived  from  England,  bringing  about  eighty  immigrants. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  them  were  under  engagement  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  at  £25  per  annum. 

"  On  his  arrival  at  the  fort,"  the  same  writer  says,  "  he  was 
presented  to  Governor  Blanshard,  Chief  Factor  Douglas,  Mr.  Finlayson 
and  some  other  gentlemen,  and  turned  over  to  the  care  of  Dr.  A, 
Benson,  with  whom  he  had  been  acquainted  in  England — a  well 
clothed  man  known  by  the  sobriquet,  "commodore.'  There  he  lived 
in  '  Bachelor's  Hall,'  a  gentleman,  good  and  kind  as  ever ;  but  his 
garments  ! — he  had  on  a  pair  of  *  sea-boots,'  into  one  of  which  he  had 
managed  to  put  one  leg  with  the  pants  inside,  the  other  with  the 
pants-leg  outside.  The  other  parts  of  his  dress  were  equally 
conspicuous  by  their  eccentricity. 

"'  Ah,'  said  he,  'you  laugh,  but  if  you  were  to  remain  here  a  few 
months  you  would  of  necessity  become  the  same ! '  He  had  a 
coffee-pot  on  the  stove,  and  such  a  coffee  pot !  The  stove  was  square, 
made  of  sheet  iron,  bent  in  all  directions  by  the  heat.  It  had  a  cast 
iron  door,  and  it  was  fed  with  large  billets  of  wood,  of  which  plenty 
existed  in  the  'Hall.'  The  stove  looked  mean  and  dilapidated,  but 
it  was  found  capital  for  roasting  native  oysters  upon. 

"  The  '  surgery  '  was  consigned  to  me  as  my  room  pro  tern.  In  it 
there  was  a  '  cot '  slung  to  the  ceiling,  which  I  was  to  use  as  a 
'  hammock.'  The  room  was  unique.  It  contained  a  gun  case  and  a 
few  shelves,  with  drugs  in  bottles  or  in  paper  in  every  direction. 
The  tin  lining  of  a  'packing  case'  served  for  a  counter.  C.iptain 


214  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Grant,  of  Sooke,  arrived  in  the  evening  and  domiciled  in  Captain 
Nevin's  room.  Mackay  and  the  doctor  retired  to  theirs,  and  I  turned 
into  the  hammock.  I  slept  well  that  night,  and  was  awakened  in 
the  morning  by  the  loud  ringing  of  a  bell,  and  a  concert  proceeding 
from  a  host  of  curs — these  curs  assembled  under  the  bell  at  every 
meal  and,  looking  up  to  it,  howled — the  howling  being  taken  up  by 
some  dogs  in  the  Indian  village  opposite. 

"  Benson  called  out :   *  Get  up  quickly  ;  that  is  the  breakfast  bell.' 

"  I  got  up,  and  so  did  Captain  Grant.  Whilst  dressing  I  heard 
the  following  dialogue  :  *  Dear,  oh  dear,  where  is  the  soap  ]  Captain 
Grant,  have  you  my  soap  1 ' 

"  'Aye,  aye,'  was  the  response,  *  you  shall  have  it  directly.' 

"'Why,  what  has  become  of  my  razor1?  Grant,  have  you  my 
razor  1 ' 

"'Yes;  nearly  finished;  you  can  have  it  directly.'  And  he  got 
it  and  shaved.  Then  I  heard  :  c  Where  is  my  shirt  1  I  shall  be  late 
for  breakfast.  Grant,  have  you  taken  my  shirt  1 ' 

"  '  I  have,  my  dear  fellow ;  I  want  to  appear  at  table  decent.' 

"  '  That  is  too  bad,  Grant ;  it  is  the  only  clean  shirt  I  have  to  put 
on!' 

"  '  Never  mind,  old  fellow,  put  on  your  old  one ;  it  will  be  clean 
enough.  Mine  has  not  been  washed  for  I  don't  know  how  long ; 
more  than  a  week  anyhow.  You  can  get  yours  washed,  and  Benson, 
send  mine  too,  please.' 

"  We  all  got  to  breakfast,  and  after  returning,  the  following  was 
said :  '  Bless  me  !  where  is  my  tobacco  1  I  left  half  a  case  of 
"  Cavendish"  under  the  bed/ 

'•  '  Oh,  yes,'  says  Grant,  '  I  took  it,  my  good  fellow,  to  pay  my 
Indians  with.  We'll  get  some  more  soon  ! ' 

"After  having  smoked  a  pipe  of  peace,  all  was  made  right,  for 
Grant  was  a  splendid  fellow  and  every  inch  a  gentleman — he  had 
been  a  captain  in  the  '  Scotch  Greys.'  Benson  now  insisted  on 
showing  me  the  '  lions  '  of  Victoria.  He  put  on  his  sea-boots,  with 
legs  of  pants  inside  ;  I  had  only  my  London-made,  thin  soled.  His 
were  dirty  ;  mine,  nicely  polished.  He  was  cute  ;  I,  a  greenhorn  : 
so  the  doctor  '  practised '  a  little  on  my  verdancy. 

"The  'lions'  of  Victoria  then  were  the  fort  and  its  contents.  It 
had  been  built  by  Mr.  Finlayson.  The  fort  was  nearly  a  quadrangle, 
about  one  hundred  yards  long  and  wide,  with  bastions  at  two  corners, 
containing  cannon.  The  whole  was  stockaded  with  cedar  posts,  about 
six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  about  fifteen  feet  in  length. 
They  had  been  brought  from  near  'Mount  Douglas,'  which  was  then 
called  'Cedar  Hill').  There  were  inside  about  a  dozen  large, 
story  and-a-half  buildings,  say  60  x  40,  roofed  with  long  and  wide 
strips  of  cedar  bark.  The  buildings  were  for  the  storage  of  goods, 
Indian  trading-shop,  and  a  large  shop  for  general  trade.  It  contained 
everything  required. 

"The  mess-room,  off  from  which  lived  Mr.  Douglas  and  family,  was 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  215 

•at  the  corner  of  (now)  Fort  and  Government  Streets.  The  'counting- 
house'  was  near  (now)  Wharf  Street.  Mr.  Finlayson  occupied  this 
post  and  lived  there  with  his  family.  A  belfry  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  yard,  and  its  bell  tolled  for  meals,  for  deaths,  for  weddings, 
for  church  service,  for  fires,  and  sometimes  for  warnings.  At  meal 
time  it  was  assisted  by  a  chorus  of  curs.  On  Wharf  Street,  there 
•existed  a  flagstaff,  and  near  it  a  well,  some  eighty  feet  deep,  but 
which  contained  very  litt  e  water.  The  fort  yard  was  muddy,  and 
the  side-walk  to  the  stores  consisted  of  two  or  three  poles,  along 
which  Benson  trudged,  but  off  which  my  boots  slipped  every  few 
steps  !  So  my  boots  and  my  pants  were  not  a  little  muddy,  and  the 
wretch  Benson  laughed  at  me,  saying,  '  I  told  you  so  !  you'll  soon  be 
.like  me  ;  if  you  remain  here  ! ' 

"For  all  this  exertion,  I  saw  nothing  but  'furs'  and  stores.  Not 
very  many  of  the  former,  as  they  had  been  already  packed,  to  be  sent 
.home  by  the  returning  ship  Gorman  Morrison,  Captain  Wishart 
•being  her  commander.  As  I  could  not  very  well  get  much  muddier, 
we  went  outside  the  'fort,'  and  there  lay  the  Beaver,  Captain  Dodd 
in  command,  so  clean,  so  nice,  so  spruce,  with  'boarding  nettings' 
•all  round,  cannon  on  deck,  muskets  and  cutlasses  arranged  in  their 
proper  places,  beautiful  cabins,  and  good  furniture,  with  a  trading 
place  for  Indians,  who,  I  was  told,  were  only  allowed  a  few  at  a  time 
on  board,  when  on  trade.  She  had  a  large  crew — active,  robust, 
weather-beaten,  jolly,  good-tempered  men — fat,  from  not  being  over- 
worked ;  some  grey,  some  grizzled,  some  young  ;  the  former  had  once 
been  similar  to  the  latter  in  'the  service.' 

"  Outside  the  fort  there  were  no  houses,  save,  perhaps,  a  block 
cabin  or  two.  Forest,  more  or  less,  existed  from  'the  ravine,'  Johnson 
Street,  to  the  north.  The  harbor  was  surrounded  by  tall  pines,  and 
its  bowers  bedecked  with  shrubs ;  many  of  which  were,  at  this  early 
period,  in  blossom.  Cultivated  fields  existed  from  Government  Street 
to  the  public  schools ;  likewise  across  the  bay,  and  I  was  informed 
the  Company  exported  wheat  to  Sitka!  There  were  barns  up  Fort 
•Street  (this  ran  through  the  centre  of  the  fort)  about  where  now  is 
the  site  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute  ;  and  I  think  there  I  saw,  a  few 
•days  ago,  a  small  shanty  which  existed  then.  It  was  covered  with 
-cedar  bark. 

"  My  friend  Benson  next  took  me  to  Beacon  Hill.  The  weather 
wa-?  lovely  and  warm,  the  sky  bright,  the  mountains  clear,  and  every- 
thing looked  paradisiacal.  There  we  rested,  locked  at  'Dutnall's 
fields,'  and  at  the  Beacon,  which  I  in  my  ignorance  thought  a  target. 
We  then  walked  along  the  beach  to  near  the  entrance  of  Victoria 
harbor.  Benson  said,  'Now,  I'll  go  back  by  a  "short  cut.'"  The 
wretched  man  came  to  a  swamp  (Providence  Pond,  near  Moffatt's). 
Says  he,  '  We  cross  somewhere  about  here;  come  on.'  He  walked  along 
^  fallen  tree;  so  did  I— not  very  well  though.  He  jumped  from  hillock 
to  hillock  ;  so  did  I.  We  both  jumped  to  a  fallen  tree  ;  it  sunk,  and 
we  went  knee-deep  into  the  water.  He  had  '  sea-boots'  on  ;  he  looked 


216  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

at  me,  and  laughed — '  I  told  you  so;  you  will  soon  be  like  me.  You 
are  pretty  well  seasoned  nowr  so  come  along,  for  I  have  lost  the 
track  !'  So  we  wallowed  through  this  swamp,  got  out  somewhere,  got 
to  the  fort,  I  a  wiser  but  not  a  sadder  man.  I  had  been  '  introduced  ' 
to  'roughing  it' ;  my  cockney  boots  and  trousers  used  up. 

"  After  making  ourselves  decent,  for  I  was  told  that  Mr.  Douglas, 
was  rather  particular  about  this,  the  '  bell  and  the  dogs'  told  us  it 
was  time  for  dinner,  and  to  it,  nothing  loth,  we  went.  The  mess- 
room  was  more  than  thirty  feet  long  by,  say,  twenty  wide  ;  a  large, 
open  fire-place  at  one  end,  and  large  pieces  of  cord  wood  burning^ 
therein  ;  a  clock  on  the  wall  ;  a  long  table  in  the  middle,  covered 
with  spotless  linen;  the  knives  and  forks  clean;  decanters.  brightr 
containing  wine  and  so  forth;  the  chairs  of  wood  (Windsor),  but 
everything  European.  I  suppose  there  must  have  been  more  than 
twenty  people  in  the  room,  when  Mr.  Douglas  made  his  appearance 
— a  handsome  specimen  of  nature's  noblemen,  tall,  stout,  broad- 
shouldered,  muscular,  with  a  grave,  bronzed  face,  yet  kindly  withal. 
After  the  usual  greetings  he  took  the  head  of  the  table,  Mr.  Finlayson> 
the  foot. 

"  Captain  Dodd,  Captain  Wishart,  Captain  Grant  and  myself  were 
guests.  There  were  also  present,  J.  W.  McKay,  Charley  Griffin,. 
Captain  Sangster.  and  numerous  others,  whom  I  do  not  recollect  at 
this  moment.  Grace  having  been  said  by  Mr.  Douglas  (the  chaplain 
did  not  dine  at  the  mess,  but  all  the  other  married  officers  did),  on 
comes  the  soup,  then  the  salmon,  then  the  meats — venison  on  thi& 
occasion,  and  ducks ;  then  the  pies,  and  so  forth  ;  and  down  they  go 
into  their  proper  receptacle,  each  one  ready  and  willing  to  receive 
them.  Having  done  justice  to  the  dinner,  and  taken  a  glass  'to  the 
Queen,'  many  of  the  junior  members  left,  either  to  work  or  to  smoke 
their  pipes  in  their  own  quarters.  We  remained.  The  steward,  a 
Kanaka  (the  cook  was  also  a  Kanaka,  i  <?.,  Sandwich  Islander),, 
brought  on  tobacco  and  long  clay  pipes,  of  the  kind  called  '  alderman/ 
Mr.  Douglas  took  his  pipe,  which  I  noticed  was  beautifully  colored, 
showing  slow  and  careful  smoking  (the  clerks  used  to  like  to  get  hold' 
of  his  colored  pipes).  Others  took  pipes,  either  from  the  heap  or  their 
pockets.  Everybody  appeared  to  smoke  calmly  and  deliberately. 

"During  the  dinner  there  was  conversation,  Mr.  Douglas  taking 
the  lead.  Captain  Wishart  was  asked  to  be  careful  of  his  men,  as 
the  gold  fever  was  raging  and  the  men  deserting  as  often  as  they 
found  an  opportunity,  giving  great  trouble  and  necessitating  spies_ 
California  was  spoken  about,  which  led  to  someone  asking  where 
Solomon  got  his  gold  from  ;  but  no  one  could  answer  the  conundrum. 
To  change  the  conversation,  perhaps,  Mr.  Douglas  asked  the  doctor 
why  so  many  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  officers  were  bald.  His- 
answer  was,  ' pro  pella  cutem' — 'they  had  sent  their  furs  home,' — at 
which  some  laughed  ;  but  Mr.  Douglas  gravely  said,  '  Perhaps,  having 
given  us  the  poetry  of  the  thing,  you  will  give  the  prose — the  cause/" 
This  rion-plussed  the  doctor,  as  it  was  an  additional  conundrum. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  217 

"By  the  Norman  Morrison,  files  of  newspapers,  and  the  four 
Reviews  of  latest  dates — that  is  to  say,  nearly  six  months  old — had 
come  out,  and  Mr.  Douglas  commenced  about  some  Scotch  battles 
fought  long  ago.  This  brought  out  Dodd,  an  Englishman,  well  read 
and  well  educated,  who  derided  the  breechless  vagabonds — Johnny 
Cope  got  his  share.  Douglas  and  Dodd  seemed  to  know  how  many 
men  were  engaged  in  each  battle ;  and  all  at  once  they  tumbled  into 
the  battle  of  Waterloo— the  one  claiming  that  the  Scotch  did  best, 
the  other  that  the  English  did  most  execution,  while  a  third  claimed 
that  Scotch,  English  and  Irish  would  have  been  beaten  had  it  not 
been  for  Blucher  and  his  host  coming  up,  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  to 
save  the  lot.  This  question  was  not  settled. 

"  *  OLD  TOD  '  was  chaffed  for  having  fired  a  salute  four  years  after 
the  victory,  i.e.,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  it.  He  was  indignant,  and 
contended  it  was  less  than  three  years.  His  post  had  been  somewhere 
near  the  North  Pole  !  I  was  informed  that  no  frivolous  conversation 
was  ever  allowed  at  table,  but  that  Mr.  Douglas,  as  a  rule,  came 
primed  with  some  intellectual  and  scientific  subject,  and  thus  he 
educated  his  clerks.  All  had  to  go  to  church  every  Sunday,  the 
mess-room  serving  every  purpose — baptisms,  marriages,  funerals, 
councils,  dances,  theatricals,  or  other  amusements —  and  did  not  seem 
any  the  worse  for  it. 

"After  dinner  we  went  to  see  the  Indian  village.  Benson  just 
pointed  out  the  bullet-holes  in  the  pickets  and  bastions  made  by 
hostile  Indians.  '  But,'  said  he,  '  don't  be  afraid,  they  are  only 
dangerous  when  excited,  and  as  a  rule  they  don't  get  excited  without 
cause  given.'  He  procured  a  canoe,  of  which  I  felt  dubious,  but  he 
taught  my  tiny  feet  how  to  get  into  it ;  and  so  we  arrived  safely, 
after  what  I  considered  a  dangerous  passage.  There  must  have  been 
five  or  six  hundred  Indians.  By  far  the  greater,  number  had  a 
blanket  only  for  clothing ;  but  KING  FREEZY  had  on  a  tall  hat  and  a 
long  coat,  and  considered  himself  somebody,  as  indeed  he  was,  and 
friendly  to  the  whites.  He  had  a  most  remarkably  flattened  head — 
indeed  all  the  Indians  had  flattened  heads  and  fearful  foreheads, 
retreating  backwards.  We  saw  babies  undergoing  the  process ;  a 
pad  and  pressure  being  the  instruments.  They  did  not  seem  to 
suffer ;  perhaps  it  made  them  good.  The  cradles  were  hung  on  a 
flexible  pole,  stuck  in  the  ground  at  an  acute  angle,  so  a  slight  touch 
on  the  pole  put  the  baby  into  an  up  and  down  motion. 

"In  one  house  there  were  a  number  of  people  beating  tom-toms 
and  chanting.  They  had  a  sick  child  in  the  centre.  The  *  medicine 
man '  was  performing  some  incantations,  such  as  sucking  the  child's 
skin  and  spitting  upon  it.  The  child,  they  said,  had  a  devil — I 
suggested  he  was  standing  alongside.  Benson  .said,  '  No,  he  is  the 
doctor,  a  man  and  a  brother  medico.'  This  was  very  interesting,  but 
our  time  being  precious,  we  looked  at  their  '  woolly  dogs,'  and  the 
dirt  and  filth,  and  proceeded  to  return  in  what  seemed  to  me  then 
our  very  frail  and  treacherous  conveyance.  By  the  bye,  these  '  woolly 


218  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

dogs '  seem  to  have  become  extinct.  These  Indians  used  to  shear 
them,  and  make  a  sort  of  blanket  out  of  the  wool.  Safely  landed,  on 
our  way  to  Governor  Blanshard's  we  saw  many  Indians  walking 
about.  Nearly  every  one  had  the  same  covering — a  blanket  and  dirt ; 
and  we  saw  two  examining  each  other's  heads,  looking  for — well, 
never  mind,  but  they  ate  them  ! 

"  We  found  Governor  Blanshard  smoking  a  very  thick  pipe  with  a 
very  long  stem.  He  was  a  comparatively  young  man,  of  medium 
height,  with  aquiline,  aristocratic  features,  set  off  by  a  large,  military 
moustache.  He  had  arrived  only  a  few  days  previously,  and  had 
been  riding.  He  said,  *  Benson,  you  told  me  all  the  trails  led  to  the 
fort,  but  you  did  not  tell  me  they  all  led  away  from  it.  Now,  I  got 
off  the  trail,  to  wander  about,  and  1  lost  it ;  but  I  found  another,  and 
it  led  away  from  the  fort.  1  should  not  have  been  here  now  had  I 
not  turned  my  horse's  head  and  tail — as  it  is,  I  have  lost  my  dinner.' 
He  was  a  very  intelligent  and  affable  man.  We  left  him  with  his 
pipe-stem  still  in  his  mouth. 

"  It  being  now  supper  time,  we  went  to  the  mess-room.  The 
company  was  smaller,  and  after  chatting  around  the  fire,  and  smoking, 
of  course,  everyone  went  his  own  way,  but  most  to  the  'Hall.'  After 
adjourning  to  the  hall,  a  Frenchman  came  (all  the  men  were  French- 
Canadians),  and  said  to  the  doctor,  'Pierre  has  a  bad  stomach-ache.' 
Doctor — 'Bad  stomach-ache,  eh!  Ah,  eating  too  much! — ah,  yes, 
give  him  a  tablespoonful  of  salts  ! '  '  Oh/  said  the  man,  '  but  he  is 
very  bad!'  Doctor — 'Ah,  hum,  yes,  very  bad,  eh?  very  bad,  eh*? 
Then  give  him  two  spoonfuls  of  salts  !  Oh,  yes,  that's  the  way  to 
clean  out  the  salt  salmon.' 

" There  were  a  good  many  in  'Bachelor's  Hall' — all  young  men. 
After  awhile  Captain  Grant  began  'to  entertain  the  company.'  He 
showed  how  to  use  the  sword.  He  stuck  the  candle  on  the  back  of  a 
chair,  to  snuff  it  with  a  sweep  of  the  sword  ;  but  I  am  bound  to 
confess,  he  took  off  a  good  piece  of  the  candle  with  it,  and  down  it 
went.  Again  the  candle  was  stuck  up  ;  then  he  split  it  longitudinally, 
and  this  time  splendidly.  He  wanted  to  '  cut '  a  button  off  Benson's 
coat  (he  had  none  too  many),  but  Benson  said,  '  Oh !  oh  !  cut  a 
button — no,  no;  split  or  spit  one  too,  ho!  ho''  After  awhile,  the 
captain  introduced  the  game,  'To  escort  Her  Majesty  to  Windsor 
Castle.'  All  were  to  be  cavalry;  so  down  everybody  went  kangaroo 
fashion.  Grant,  being  in  command,  took  the  lead  ;  and  so  we  hopped 
around  the  room,  and  made  considerable  of  a  racket,  in  the  midst  of 
which  some  naughty  school-girl  overhead,  possibly  not  being  able  to 
sleep,  poured  some  water  through  a  crack  in  the  ceiling,  right  down 
upon  the  cavalry  !  This  put  an  end  to  '  the  escort  to  Windsor/ 
Word  was  brought  by  a  spy,  that  some  of  the  men  had  a  canoe  and 
were  about  to  depart  to  the  other  side,  so  off  McKay  went  to  look 
after  them.  This  broke  up  the  party,  and  away  we  went  to  bed ;  and 
so  ended  a  day  in  Victoria. 

"I  stand   to-day  upon  the  same  spot,  but,  oh!  how  changed.     Of 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  219 

the  twenty  or  thirty  met  before,  but  two  or  three  answer  to  the  call. 
Of  the  fields  naught  remains.  The  forest  has  been  removed,  and  the 
bleak  winds,  unhindered  now,  rusli  into  what  was  then  a  genial, 
sheltered  place.  The  Beaver  remains,  but,  great  Jove  !  no  more  like 
the  Beaver  of  former  days  than  a  coal  barge  is  like  a  frigate. 
Mightier  steamers  float  upon  the  harbor  ;  the  Indians,  once  half  a 
thousand,  have  disappeared;  homes  of  the  citizens  occupy  the  fields; 
telegraph  and  telephone  wires  make  the  streets  hideous  ;  there  is  great 
hurry  and  scurry,  but  I  doubt  whether  there  is  more  happiness  and 
content  now  than  was  enjoyed  by  the  few  but  hospitable  and  kind- 
hearted  Hudson  Bay  Company's  residents  in  1850.  Peace  be  with 
them — their  works  live  after  them."  [It  may  be  that  rather  much 
space  has  been  alloted  to  the  "  Reminiscences,"  yet  they  are  interesting 
as  being  from  the  pen  of  one  who  yet  lives  in  Victoria,  and  was  an 
•eye-witness  of  what  he  has  described. — ED.] 


CHAPTEE   III. 


CHARTER  AND  LICENSE  REPEALED. 

THE  MONOPOLY. — Whether  the  Company's  charter  of  lease  of  Van- 
couver Island  should  or  should  not  be  abrogated,  was  the  next  point 
to  be  decided.  That  colonization  did  not  make  as  much  progress  as 
was  expected  by  the  Imperial  Government  was  evident,  and  what  had 
been  accomplished  was  unsatisfactory.  The  Company's  management 
were  satisfied  that  the  island  could  no  longer  be  held  strictly  for  fur- 
trading  purposes ;  indeed  several  of  the  largest  shareholders  were 
opposed  to  the  renewal  of  the  charter.  They  fortified  themselves 
against  loss  in  case  the  charter  should  be  relinquished  by  stipulating 
that  the  outlay  which  the  attempt  to  colonize  the  island  had  neces- 
sitated should  be  repaid  in  the  event  of  its  being  given  up  to  the 
Imperial  Government.  In  the  House  of  Commons  there  was  a  strong 
feeling  against  the  Company's  monopoly,  and  this,  along  with  the 
•dissatisfaction  of  the  colonists,  led  to  an  inquiry. 

BEFORE  THE  BRITISH  PARLIAMENT. — When  the  subject  was  brought 
before  the  British  Parliament  in  1857,  a  select  committee  of  nineteen 
members  was  appointed  to  consider  the  state  of  the  British  North 
American  possessions  which  were  under  the  administration  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  over  which  they  held  fur-trading  licenses. 


220  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Notice  of  the  appointment  of  this  committee  was  sent  to  Sir  Edmund 
Walker  Head,  then  Governor-General  of  Canada,  and  Chief  Justice- 
Draper  was  commissioned  by  the  Canadian  Parliament  to  take  note 
of  the  proceedings.  A  committee  was  also  appointed  in  Canada  to 
investigate  the  matter.  The  House  of  Commons  Committee  held 
sittings  for  six  months,  and  after  examining  twenty-four  witnesses,, 
recommended  that  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  lease  of  the  island 
should  terminate  at  the  end  of  the  current  lease.  The  report  was  laid 
before  Parliament  in  1858,  and  the  recommendations  were  adopted. 

THE  COMMITTEE  were  composed  of  the  following:  Henry  Labouchere, 
Chairman  ;  Messrs.  Gladstone,  Roebuck,  Lowe,  Grogan,  Gregson,  Fitz- 
william,  Gurney,  Herbert,  Matheson,  Blackburn,  Christy,  Kinnaird. 
Ellice,  Viscounts  Goclerich  and  Sandon,  Sir  John  Pakington,  and 
Lords  Russell  and  Stanley  (19).  The  witnesses  examined  were:  John 
Ross,  J.  H.  Lefoy,  John  Rae,  Sir  George  Simpson,  Win.  Kernaghan,. 
C.  W.  W.  Fitz william,  Alexander  Isbister,  G.  O.  Corbett,  Sir  John 
Richardson,  J.  F.  Crofton,  Sir  George  Back,  James  Cooper,  W.  H. 
Draper,  David  Anderson,  Joseph  Maynard,  A.  R.  Roche,  David  Herd, 
John  Miles,  John  McLoughlin,  Richard  Blanshard,  William  C  aid  well, 
Richard  King,  James  Tennant  and  Edward  Ellice  (24).  Amongst 
the  witnesses  several  were  in  favor  of  continuing  the  license  system. 

JUST  AT  THIS  TIME  the  gold  excitement  broke  out  at  the  Fraser 
River.  Governor  Douglas,  as  chief  factor  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, was  required,  in  their  interest,  to  look  after  the  mainland,  over 
which  the  Company  still  held  a  lease,  but  which  would  soon  expire, 
and,  as  the  nearest  representative  of  the  British  Crown,  it  was  his 
duty  to  look  after  the  interests  of  her  Majesty  the  Queen.  Results 
show  that  he  was  "  the  right  man  in  the  right  place,"  and  that  under 
the  extraordinary  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed,  no  one  could 
have  been  found  to  meet  as  well  as  he  did  the  various  requirements. 
Situated  as  they  were,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  were  of  greater  use 
to  the  Imperial  Government  than  the  Government  was  to  them.  In 
the  emergency  the  Company  behaved  with  great  liberality — gave  up- 
in  many  instances  the  use  of  their  establishments  to  accommodate  the 
public  officers.  % 

LICENSE  ON  THE  MAINLAND. — It  required  prompt  action  on  the  part 
of  Governor  Douglas  to  deal  with  and  keep  in  order  the  motley  crowd 
of  thousands  who  nocked  into  Victoria  and  onwards  towards  Fraser 
River.  The  gold  discoveries  put  an  entirely  different  aspect  on  affairs 
on  the  mainland.  The  influx  of  miners  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
destroy  the  fur  trade.  It  was  therefore  concluded  by  the  Company 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  221 

as  well  as  the  Imperial  Government,  that  the  license  of  exclusive 
rights  on  the  mainland  should  terminate.  The  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  Colonies  realizing  the  difficult  position  in  which  Governor  Douglas 
was  placed,  wrote  to  him  in  reference  to  his  connection  with  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company. 

LORD  LYTTON'S  DESPATCH. — On  the  16th  of  July,  1858,  a  confi- 
dential despatch  from  Lord  Lytton  stated  that  the  public  despatch  of 
the  same  date  would  show  him  the  high 
value  which  her  Majesty's  Government  at- 
tached to  his  services,  and  at  the  same  time 
would  guard  him  against  some  of  the  errors 
into  which  he  might  be  led  by  his  position  as 
an  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  whilst 
also  an  officer  of  her  Majesty's  Government. 
He  informed  him  that  a  bill  was  in  progress 
through  Parliament,  to  get  rid  of  certain 
legal  obstacles  which  interposed  to  prevent 
LORD  LYTTON  ^e  Crown  from  constituting  a  government 

suited  to  the  exigencies  of  so  peculiar  a  case, 

over  the  territory  resorted  to  by  the  multitudes  whom  the  gold  dig- 
gings on  the  Eraser  River  had  attracted. 

"  It  is  proposed,"  the  despatch  continues,  "  to  appoint  a  governor 
with  a  salary  of  at  least  £1,000  per  annum,  to  be  paid  for  the  present 
out  of  a  parliamentary  vote.  And  it  is  the  desire  of  her  Majesty's 
Government  to  appoint  you  at  once  to  that  office,  on  the  usual  terms 
of  a  governor's  appointment ;  namely,  for  six  years  at  least,  your 
administration  of  that  office  continuing  to  merit  the  approval  of  her 
Majesty's  Government ;  this  government  to  be  held,  for  the  present, 
in  conjunction  with  your  separate  commission  as  governor  of 
Vancouver  Island.  With  regard  to  the  latter,  I  am  not  at  this 
moment  able  to  specify  the  terms  as  to  the  salary  on  which  it  may 
ultimately  be  held,  but  your  interests  would,  of  course,  not  be 
overlooked. 

"  The  legal  connection  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  with  Vancouver 
Island  will  shortly  be  severed  by  the  resumption  by  the  Crown  of  the 
grant  of  the  soil.  And  their  legal  rights,  on  the  Continent  opposite 
terminates  in  May  next,  at  all  events  by  the  expiry  of  Her  license, 
if  her  Majesty  should  not  be  advised  to  terminate  it  sooner  on  the 
establishment  of  the  new  colony. 

"  It  is  absolutely  necessary,  in  their  view,  that  the  administration 
of  the  government,  both  of  Vancouver  Island  and  of  the  mainland 
opposite,  should  be  entrusted  to  an  officer  or  officers  entirely 
unconnected  with  the  Company.  I  wish,  therefore,  for  your  distinct 


222  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

statement,  as  early  as  you  can  afford  it,  whether  you  are  willing,  on 
receiving  the  appointment  which  is  thus  offered  to  you,  to  give  up, 
within  as  short  a  time  as  may  be  practicable,  all  connection  which 
you  may  have  with  that  company,  either  as  its  servant,  or  a- 
shareholder,  or  in  any  other  capacity. 

"  I  make  this  proposal  without  discussing  at  present  the  nature 
and  extent  of  your  actual  connections  with  that  Company,  but  with 
the  acquiescence  of  the  governor  of  the  company,  who  has  seen  this 
despatch.  In  the  meantime,  and  awaiting  your  answer,  it  is  my 
present  intention  (liable  only  to  be  altered  by  what  may  transpire  in 
future  advices  from  yourself)  to  issue  a  commission  to  you  as  governor^ 
but  you  will  fully  understand  that  unless  you  are  prepared  to  assure 
me  that  all  connection  between  yourself  and  the  Company  is 
terminated,  or  in  course  of  speedy  termination,  you  will  be  relieved 
by  the  appointment  of  a  successor. 

"  I  make  this  proposal  briefly  and  without  unnecessary  preface, 
being  fully  assured  that  you  will  understand,  on  the  one  hand,  that 
her  Majesty's  Government  are  very  anxious  to  secure  your  services,, 
if  practicable ;  but  on  the  other  that  it  is  quite  impossible  that  you 
should  continue  to  serve  at  once  the  Crown  and  the  Company,  when 
their  respective  rights  and  interests  may  possibly  diverge,  and  when, 
at  all  events,  public  opinion  will  not  allow  of  such  a  connection.'' 

IN  A  SUBSEQUENT  DESPATCH  (July  31),  Lord  Lytton  says  :  "  As 
it  is  a  matter  of  considerable  importance,  both  to  her  Majesty's 
Government  and  yourself,  that  there  should  be  a  perfect  under- 
standing as  to  the  terms  on  which,  if  you  should  so  decide,  you 
would  assume  office  under  imperial  authority,  I  think  it  right  to 
state,  as  it  was  omitted  on  the  last  occasion,  that  beside  relinquishing, 
directly  or  indirectly,  all  connection  with  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
it  will  be  indispensable  to  apply  that  condition  equally  to  any  interest 
you  may  possess  in  the  Puget  Sound  Company. 

"  It  is  most  probable  that  you  have  understood  the  offer  contained 
in  my  confidential  despatch  of  the  16th  instant  in  that  sense,  but  I 
think  it  better  now  to  guard  against  any  possible  misconception  on 
the  subject  by  this  additional  explanation.  It  is  due  to  you  to  add 
that  if,  after  reflection,  you  should  entertain  the  persuasion  that  it 
will  either  not  conduce  to  the  public  interests  or  your  own  to 
exchange  your  present  position  for  that  of  governor  of  British 
Columbia,  the  ability  which  you  have  displayed  whilst  holding  the 
office  of  governor  of  Vancouver  Island  will  not  escape  the  recollection 
of  her  Majesty's  Government,  should  it  be  your  wish,  on  the 
expiration  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  license  next  year,  to  enter 
into  the  service  of  the  Crown  in  the  colonies." 

In  another  despatch,  also  dated  July  31st,  the  Right  Honorable 
the  Secretary  of  State  adds:  "I  need  hardly  observe  that  British 
Columbia,  for  by  that  name  the  Queen  has  been  graciously  pleased 
to  observe  that  the  country  should  be  known,  stands  on  a  very 
different  footing  from  many  of  our  colonial  settlements.  They 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  223 

possessed  the  chief  elements  of  success  in  lands,  which  afforded  safe 
though  not  very  immediate  sources  of  prosperity.  This  territory 
combines  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the  advantage  of  fertile  lands,  fine 
timber,  adjacent  harbors,  rivers,  together  with  rich  mineral  products. 
These  last,  which  have  led  to  the  large  immigration  of  which  all 
accounts  speak,  furnish  the  Government  with  the  means  of  raising  a 
revenue  which  will  at  once  defray  the  expenses  of  an  establishment. 
.  .  .  My  own  views  lead  me  to  think  that  moderate  duties  on 
beer,  wine,  spirits  and  other  articles  usually  subject  to  taxation 
would  be  preferable  to  the  imposition  of  licenses  :  and  I  confidently 
expect  that  from  these  sources  a  large  and  an  immediate  revenue 
may  be  derived. 

"  The  disposal  also  of  public  lands,  and  especially  of  town  lots,  for 
which  T  am  led  to  believe  there  will  be  a  great  demand,  will  afford  a 
rapid  means  of  obtaining  funds  applicable  to  the  general  purposes  of 
the  colony.  You  will,  probably,  at  an  early  period  take  steps  for 
deciding  upon  a  site  for  a  seaport  town.  But  the  question  of  how  a 
revenue  can  best  be  raised  in  this  new  country  depends  so  much  on 
local  circumstances,  upon  which  you  possess  such  superior  means  of 
forming  a  judgment  to  myself,  that  I  necessarily,  but  at  the  same 
time  willingly,  leave  the  decision  upon  it  to  you,  with  the  remark 
that  it  will  be  prudent  on  your  part  and  expedient  to  ascertain  the 
general  sense  of  the  immigrants  upon  a  matter  of  so  much 
importance.  Before  I  leave  this  part  of  the  subject,  I  must  state 
that  whilst  the  Imperial  Parliament  will  cheerfully  lend  its  assistance 
in  the  early  establishment  of  this  new  colony,  it  will  expect  that  the 
colony  will  be  self-supporting  as  soon  as  possible.  You  will  keep 
steadily  in  view  that  it  is  the  desire  of  this  country  that 
representative  institutions  and  self-government  should  prevail  in 
British  Columbia,  when  by  the  growth  of  a  fixed  population,  materials 
for  these  institutions  shall  be  known  to  exist ;  and  to  that  object,  you 
must  from  the  commencement  aim  and  shape  all  your  policy. 

"  A  party  of  Royal  Engineers  will  be  despatched  to  the  colony 
immediately.  It  will  devolve  upon  them  to  survey  those  parts  of  the 
country  which  may  be  considered  most  suitable  for  settlement,  to 
mark  out  allotments  of  land  for  public  purposes,  to  suggest  a  site  for 
the  seat  of  government,  to  point  out  where  roads  should  be  made> 
and  to  render  you  such  assistance  as  may  be  in  their  power,  on  the 
distinct  understanding,  however,  that  this  force  is  to  be  maintained 
at  the  Imperial  cost  for  only  a  limited  period,  and  that  if  required 
afterwards,  the  colony  will  have  to  defray  the  expense  thereof.  I 
have  to  add,  that  I  am  of  opinion  that  it  will  be  reasonable  and 
proper  that  the  expense  of  the  survey  of  all  allotments  of  land  ta 
private  individuals  should  be  included  in  the  price  which  the 
purchaser  will  have  to  pay  for  his  property. 

"  I  shall  endeavor  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  services  of  an  officer 
in  command  of  the  engineers  who  will  be  capable  of  reporting  011  the 
value  of  the  mineral  resources.  This  force  is  sent  for  scientific  and 


224  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

practical  purposes,  and  not  solely  for  military  objects.  As  little 
display  as  possible  should,  therefore,  be  made  of  it.  Its  mere 
appearance,  if  prominently  obtruded,  might  serve  to  irritate,  rather 
than  appease  the  mixed  population  which  will  be  collected  in  British 
Columbia.  It  should  be  remembered  that  your  real  strength  lies  in 
the  conviction  of  the  immigrants  that  their  interests  are  identical 
with  those  of  the  Government,  which  should  be  carried  on  in  harmony 
with,  and  by  means  of  the  people  of  the  country. 

"As  connected  with  this  subject,  it  may  be  convenient  to  you  to 
know  that  I  contemplate  sending  out  an  experienced  inspector  of 
police  to  assist  you  in  the  formation  of  a  police  force.  You  should 
consequently  lose  no  time  in  considering  how  that  force  can  be 
organized.  It  must  be  derived  from  people  on  the  spot,  who  will 
understand  that  for  their  preservation  from  internal  disturbances, 
they  must  rely  solely  on  themselves,  and  not  on  the  military.  I 
cannot  permit  myself  to  doubt,  that  in  a  matter  so  essential  to  the 
common  security  of  all,  you  will  meet  with  the  ready  concurrence  of 
the  community,  and  that  you  will  act  for  their  interests  in  a  manner 
which  shall  be  popular  and  conformable  to  their  general  sentiments. 

"  I  have  to  enjoin  upon  you  to  consider  the  best  and  most  humane 
means  of  dealing  with  the  native  Indians.  The  feelings  of  this 
country  would  be  strongly  opposed  to  the  adoption  of  any  arbitrary  or 
oppressive  measures  towards  them.  At  this  distance,  and  with  the 
imperfect  means  of  knowledge  which  I  possess,  I  am  reluctant  to 
offer,  as  yet,  any  suggestion  as  to  the  prevention  of  affrays  between 
the  Indians  and  the  immigrants.  This  question  is  of  so  local  a 
character  that  it  must  be  solved  by  your  knowledge  and  experience, 
And  I  commit  it  to  you,  in  the  full  persuasion  that  you  will  pay  every 
regard  to  the  interests  of  the  natives  which  an  enlightened  humanity 
can  suggest.  Let  me  not  omit  to  observe,  that  it  should  be  an 
invariable  condition,  in  all  bargains  or  treaties  with  the  natives  for 
the  cession  of  lands  possessed  by  them,  that  subsistence  should  be 
supplied  to  them  in  some  other  shape,  and  above  all,  that  it  is  the 
•earnest  desire  of  her  Majesty's  Government  that  your  early  attention 
should  be  given  to  the  best  means  of  diffusing  the  blessings  of  the 
Ohristian  religion  and  of  civilization  among  the  natives. 

"I  wish  to  impress  upon  you  the  necessity  of  seeking,  by  all 
legitimate  means,  to  secure  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  the 
immigrants,  and  to  exhibit  no  jealousy  whatever  of  Americans  or 
other  foreigners  who  may  enter  the  country.  You  will  remember 
that  the  country  is  destined  for  free  institutions  at  the  earliest 
moment.  In  the  meanwhile  it  will  be  advisable  for  you  to  ascertain 
what  Americans  resorting  to  the  diggings  enjoy  the  most  influence  or 
popular  esteem,  and  you  should  open  with  them  a  frank  and  friendly 
-communication  as  to  the  best  means  of  preserving  order  and  securing 
the  interests  and  peace  of  the  colony.  It  may  be  deserving  of  your 
•consideration  whether  there  may  not  be  found  already  amongst  the 
immigrants,  both  British  and  foreign,  some  persons  whom  you  could 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD.  225 

immediately  form  into  a  council  of  advice  ;  men  whom,  if  an  elective 
council  were  ultimately  established  in  the  colony,  the  immigrants 
themselves  would  be  likely  to  elect,  and  who  might  be  able  to  render 
you  valuable  assistance  until  the  machinery  of  government  were 
perfected,  and  you  were  in  possession  of  the  instructions  which  the 
•Queen  will  be  pleased  to  issue  for  your  guidance.  1  shall  hope  to 
receive,  at  an  early  period,  your  views  on  these  and  other  topics  of 
importance  which  are  likely  to  present  themselves  for  your  decision 
in  the  difficult  circumstances  in  which  you  are  placed,  and  I  request 
you  to  be  assured,  on  the  part  of  her  Majesty's  Government,  that  I 
shall  be  most  ready  to  afford  you  every  assistance  in  my  power." 

On  August  14th,  in  forwarding  copy  of  the  Act  to  provide  for  the 
government  of  British  Columbia,  Lord  Lytton  writes  to  Governor 
Douglas : 

"  There  has  not  been  time  to  furnish  you  by  this  mail  with  the 
order-in-council,  commission  and  instructions  to  yourself  as  governor, 
which  are  necessary  in  order  to  complete  your  legal  powers.  You 
will,  nevertheless,  continue  to  act  during  the  brief  interval  before 
their  arrival  as  you  have  hitherto  done,  as  the  authorized  repre- 
sentative of  her  Majesty's  Government  in  the  territory  of  British 
Columbia,  and  take,  without  hesitation,  such  steps  as  you  may  deem 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  government  of  the  territory,  and  as  are 
not  repugnant  to  the  principles  of  British  law ;  but  you  will  do  so  in 
conformity  with  the  directions  which  I  transmit  to  you  on  several 
subjects  by  my  despatches  of  even  date  herewith,  and  in  such  others 
as  you  may  receive  from  me." 

In  one  of  the  despatches  referred  to,  the  Secretary  of  State  says : 

"  I  have  to  acknowledge  the  very  important  series  of  despatches 
(numbers  24  to  29  inclusive,  from  June  10th  to  July  1st,  1858), 
showing  the  manner  in  which  you  have  continued  to  administer  the 
government  of  the  territory  in  which  the  recent  discoveries  of  gold 
have  taken  place,  and  detailing  the  extraordinary  course  of  events 
in  that  quarter.  Her  Majesty's  Government  feel  that  the  difficulties 
of  your  position  are  such  as  courage,  judgment  and  familiarity  with 
the  resources  of  the  country  and  character  of  the  people  can  alone 
overcome.  They  feel  also  that  minute  instructions  conve)ed  from 
this  distance,  and  founded  on  an  imperfect  knowledge,  are  very  liable 
to  error  and  misunderstanding.  On  some  points,  however,  you  have 
yourself  asked  for  approval  and  instructions  ;  on  others  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  the  views  of  her  Majesty's  Government  should  be  made 
clear  to  you. 

"  As  to  the  steps  which  you  have  already  taken,  I  approve  of  the 
appointments  which  you  have  made  and  reported  of  revenue  officers, 
Mr.  Hicks  and  Mr.  Travaillot,  of  Mr.  Perrier  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  of  Mr.  Young  as  gold  commissioner.  I  approve  also,  as  a 

15 


226  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

temporary  measure,  of  the  steps  which  you  have  taken  in  regard  to- 
the  surveying  department ;  but  I  have  it  in  contemplation  to  send  to- 
the  colony  a  head  of  that  department  from  England. 

"  I  propose  selecting  in  this  country  some  person  for  the  office  of 
collector  of  customs,  and  shall  send  you  also,  at  the  earliest  moment, 
an  officer  authorized  to  act  as  judge,  and  who,  I  trust,  as  the  colony 
increases  in  importance,  may  be  found  competent  to  fill  with  credit 
and  weight  the  situation  of  chief  justice.  I  await  your  intimations 
as  to  the  wants  and  means  of  the  colony,  in  this  sudden  rise  of  social 
institutions  in  a  country  hitherto  so  wild,  in  order  to  select  such  law 
advisers  as  you  may  deem  the  condition  and  progress  of  immigration 
more  immediately  require.  And  it  is  my  wish  that  all  legal  authorities 
connected  with  the  government  should  be  sent  from  home,  and  thus 
freed  from  every  suspicion  of  local  partialities,  prejudices  and  interests. 

"  I  highly  approve  of  the  steps  which  you  have  taken,  as  reported 
by  yourself,  with  regard  to  the  Indians.  It  is  in  the  execution  of 
this  very  delicate  and  important  portion  of  your  duties  that  her 
Majesty's  Government  especially  rely  on  your  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence, obtained  in  your  long  service  under  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 
You  may  in  return  rely  on  their  support  in  the  execution  of  such 
reasonable  measures  as  you  may  devise  for  the  protection  of  the 
natives,  the  regulation  of  their  intercourse  with  the  whites,  and 
whenever  such  work  may  be  commenced,  their  civilization.  In  what 
way  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians  may  henceforth  be  carried  on 
with  the  most  safety,  and  with  due  care  to  save  them  from  the 
demoralizing  bribes  of  ardent  spirits,  I  desire  to  know  your  views 
before  you  make  any  fixed  regulations.  No  regulations  giving  the 
slightest  preference  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  will  in  future  be- 
admissible;  but  possibly,  with  the  assent  of  the  whole  community, 
licenses  for  Indian  trade,  impartially  given  to  all  who  would  embark 
in  it,  might  be  a  prudent  and  not  unpopular  precaution. 

"  I  approve  of  the  measures  which  you  have  taken  for  raising  a 
revenue  by  customs,  and  authorize  their  continuance.  I  approve  alsa 
of  your  continuing  to  levy  license  fees  for  mining  purposes,  requesting 
you,  however,  to  adopt  the  scale  of  these  fees  to  the  general  acquies- 
cence of  adventurers,  and  leaving  it  to  your  judgment  to  change  this 
mode  of  taxation  (as,  for  instance,  into  an  export  duty),  if  it  shall 
appear  on  experience  to  be  unadvisable  to  continue  it.  But  on  this 
head  I  must  give  you  certain  cautions.  In  the  first  place,  no  distinc- 
tion must  be  made  between  foreigners  and  British  subjects  as  to  the 
amount  per  head  of  the  license  fee  required  (nor  am  I  aware  that 
you  have  proposed  to  do  so).  In  the  second  place,  it  must  be  made 
perfectly  clear  to  everyone,  that  this  license  fee  is  levied,  not  in 
regard  to  any  supposed  rights  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  but 
simply  in  virtue  of  the  prerogative  of  the  Crown  (now  confirmed  by 
the  Act  of  Parliament  transmitted  to  you,  if  this  was  necessary)  to 
raise  revenue  as  it  thinks  proper,  in  return  for  the  permission  to- 
derive  profits  from  the  minerals  on  Crown  lands. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  227 

"  Further,  with  regard  to  these  supposed  rights  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  I  must  refer  you,  ia  even  stronger  terms,  to  the  cautions 
already  conveyed  to  you  by  my  former  despatches.  The  Hudson  Bay 
Company  have  hitherto  -had  an  exclusive  right  to  trade  with  Indians 
in  the  Fraser  River  territory,  but  they  have  had  no  other  right 
whatever.  They  have  had  no  right  to  exclude  strangers.  They  have 
had  no  rights  of  government,  or  of  occupation  of  the  soil.  They  have 
had  no  right  to  prevent  or  interfere  with  any  kind  of  trading,  except 
with  the  Indians  alone.  But  to  render  all  misconceptions  impossible, 
her  Majesty's  Government  have  determined  on  revoking  the  Com- 
pany's license  (which  would  itself  have  expired  in  next  May)  as  regards 
British  Columbia,  being  fully  authorized  to  do  so,  by  the  terms  of  the 
license  itself,  whenever  a  new  colony  is  constituted. 

"  The  Company's  private  property  will  be  protected,  in  common 
with  that  of  all  her  Majesty's  subjects ;  but  they  have  no  claim 
whatever  for  compensation  for  the  loss  of  their  exclusive  trade, 
which  they  only  possessed  subject  to  the  right  of  revocation.  The 
instrument  formally  revoking  the  license  will  shortly  be  forwarded 
to  you.  .  .  .  The  immense  resources  which  the  information  that 
reaches  England  every  day  and  is  confirmed  with  such  authority  by 
your  last  despatch,  assures  me  that  the  colony  possesses,  and  the 
facility  for  immediate  use  of  those  resources  for  the  purposes  of 
revenue,  will  at  once  free  the  Mother  Country  from  those  expenses 
which  are  adverse  to  the  policy  of  all  healthful  colonization. 
The  most  important  works  to  which  the  local  revenue  can  be  applied 
seem  to  be  police,  public  works  to  facilitate  landing  and  travelling, 
payment  of  the  absolutely  necessary  officers,  and  above  all,  surveying. 
But  your  own  local  judgment  must  mainly  decide.  You  will  render 
accurate  accounts  to  me  both  of  receipts  and  expenditure,  and  you 
will  probably  find  it  necessary  shortly  to  appoint  a  treasurer,  which 
will  be  a  provisional  appointment. 

"  You  are  fully  authorized  to  take  such  measures  as  you  can  for 
the  transmission  of  letters  and  levying  postage.  It  appears  by  your 
despatch  that  the  staff  of  surveyors  you  have  engaged  are  at  present 
employed  on  Vancouver  Island,  the  soil  of  which  is  as  yet  held  under 
the  expiring  license  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company ;  but  it  is  British 
Columbia  which  now  demands  and  indeed  may  almost  absorb  the 
immediate  cares  of  its  governor,  and  your  surveyor  may  at  once 
prepare  the  way  for  the  arrival  of  the  surveyor-general  appointed 
from  hence,  and  of  the  sappers  and  miners  who  will  be  under  his 
orders. 

"  I  now  come  to  the  important  subject  of  future  government. 
It  is  possible  (although  on  this  point  I  am  singularly  without 
information)  that  the  operations  of  the  gold  diggers  will  be  to  a 
considerable  extent  suspended  during  winter,  and  that  yoa  will 
therefore  have  some  amount  of  leisure  to  consider  the  permanent 
prospects  of  the  colony  and  the  best  mode  of  administering  its  affairs. 

"You  will  be  empowered  both  to  govern  and  to  legislate  of  your 


22cS  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

own  authority ;  but  you  will  distinctly  understand  that  this  is  a 
temporary  measure  only.  It  is  the  anxious  wish  of  her  Majesty's 
Government  that  popular  institutions,  without  which  they  are  con- 
vinced peace  and  order  cannot  long  prevail,  should  be  established  with 
as  little  delay  as  practicable  ;  and  until  an  Assembly  can  be  organized 
(which  may  be  whenever  a  permanent  population,  however  small,  is 
established  on  the  soil),  I  think,  as  I  have  already  stated  in  a  former 
despatch,  that  your  best  course  will  probably  be  to  form  some  kind  of 
temporary  council,  calling  in  this  manner  to  your  aid  fcuch  persons 
as  the  miners  themselves  may  place  confidence  in. 

"You  will  receive  additional  directions  along  with  your  commis- 
sion, when  forwarded  to  you  ;  and  I  have  embodied  in  a  separate 
despatch  those  regarding  the  very  important  question  of  the  disposal 
of  land. 

"Aware  of  the  immediate  demand  on  your  time  and  thoughts  con- 
nected with  the  pressing  question  of  immigration  to  the  gold  mines,  I 
do  not  wish  to  add  unnecessarily  to  the  burden  of  duties  so  cnerous ; 
but  as  yet,  our  Department  has  been  left  singularly  in  ignorance  of 
much  that  should  enter  into  considerations  of  general  policy,  and  on 
which  non-official  opinions  are  constantly  volunteered.  Probably, 
amongst  the  persons  you  are  now  employing,  and  in  whose  knowledge 
and  exactitude  you  can  confide,  you  might  find  someone  capable  of 
assisting,  under  your  superintendence,  in  furnishing  me,  as  early  as 
possible,  with  a  report  of  the  general  capacities  of  the  harbors  of 
Vancouver, — of  their  advantages  and  defects ;  of  the  mouth  of 
Fraser  River,  as  the  site  of  the  entry  into  British  Columbia,  apart 
from  the  island  ;  of  the  probabilities  of  a  coal  superior  for  steam 
purposes  to  that  of  the  island,  which  may  be  found  in  the  mainland 
of  British  Columbia ;  and  such  other  information  as  may  guide 
the  British  Government  to  the  best  and  readiest  means  of  developing 
the  various  and  the  differing  resources  both  of  the  island  and  the 
mainland — resources  which  have  so  strangely  been  concealed  for 
ages,  which  are  now  so  suddenly  brought  to  light,  and  which  may 
be  destined  to  effect,  at  no  very  distant  period,  a  marked  and 
permanent  change  in  the  commerce  and  navigation  of  the  known 
world.  The  officers  now  engaged  in  the  maritime  survey  will 
probably  render  great  assistance  to  yourself  and  to  her  Majesty's 
Government  in  this  particular." 

For  the  guidance  of  Governor  Douglas,  Sir  E.  B.  Lytton  sends  a 
despatch,  August  14th,  which  says  : 

"  With  regard  to  the  very  important  subject  of  the  disposal  of 
land,  you  are  authorized  to  sell  land  merely  wanted  for  agricultural 
purposes,  whenever  a  demand  for  it  shall  arise,  at  such  upset  price  as 
you  may  think  advisable.  I  believe  that  a  relatively  high  upset  price 
has  many  advantages ;  but  your  course  must,  in  some  degree,  be 
guided  by  the  price  at  which  such  land  is  selling  in  neighboring 
American  territories.  But  with  regard  to  land  wanted  for  town 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  229 

purposes  (to  which  speculation  is  almost  certain  to  direct  itself  in  the 
first  instance),  I  cannot  caution  you  too  strongly  against  allowing  it 
to  be  disposed  of  at  too  low  a  sum.  An  upset  price  of  at  least  £1 
per  acre  is,  in  my  opinion,  absolutely  required,  in  order  that  the 
local  government  may  in  some  degree  participate  in  the  profit  of  the 
probal}le  sales,  and  that  mere  land-jobbing  may  be  in  some  degree 
checked.  Whenever  a  free  legislature  is  assembled,  it  will  be  one  of 
its  duties  to  make  further  provision  on  this  head. 

"To  open  land  for  settlement  gradually;  not  to  sell  beyond  the 
limits  of  what  is  either  surveyed  or  ready  for  immediate  survey,  and 
to  prevent,  as  far  as  in  you  lies,  squatting  on  unsold  land. 

"  To  keep  a  separate  account  of  all  revenue  to  be  derived  from  the 
sale  of  land,  applying  it  to  the  purposes,  for  the  present,  of  survey 
and  communication,  which,  indeed,  should  be  the  first  charge  on  land 
revenue ;  and  you  will  of  course  remember  that  this  will  include  the 
expense  of  the  survey  party  (viz.,  sappers  and  miners)  now  sent  out. 
I  shall  be  anxious  to  receive  such  accounts  at  the  earliest  period  at 
which  they  can  be  furnished. 

u  Foreigners,  as  such,  are  not  entitled  to  grants  of  waste  land  of 
the  Crown  in  British  colonies.  But  it  is  the  strong  desire  of  her 
Majesty's  Government  to  attach  to  this  territory  all  peaceful  settlers, 
without  regard  to  nation.  Naturalization  should,  therefore,  be 
granted  to  all  who  desire  it,  and  are  not  disqualified  by  special  causes, 
and  with  naturalization  the  right  of  acquiring  Crown  land  should  follow. 

"  You  will  pardon  me  if  I  enjoin  on  you,  as  imperative,  the  most 
diligent  care  that  in  the  sales  of  land  there  should  not  be  the  slightest 
cause  to  impute  a  desire  to  show  favor  to  the  servants  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company.  Parliament  will  watch  with  jealousy  every  proceeding 
connected  with  such  sales  ;  and  I  shall  rely  upon  you  to  take  every 
precaution  which  not  only  impartial  probity  but  deliberate  prudence 
can  suggest,  that  there  shall  be  no  handle  given  for  a  charge,  I  will 
not  say  of  favor,  but  of  indifference  or  apathy  to  the  various  kinds  of 
land-jobbing,  either  to  benefit  favored  individuals  or  to  cheat  the  land 
revenue,  which  are  of  so  frequent  occurrence  at  the  outset  of  coloni- 
zation, and  which  it  is  the  duty  of  her  Majesty's  Government,  so  far 
as  lies  in  them,  to  repress." 

THE  FIRST  DETACHMENT  of  the  Royal  Engineers  for  British  Col- 
umbia left  England,  sailing  from  Southampton  on  the  2nd  September, 
in  the  steamer  La  Plata.  Sir  Edward  Bulwer  Lytton,  Colonial 
Minister,  went  on  board  the  steamer  when  she  was  off  Cowes,  and 
addressed  the  party,  who  were  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Parsons,  R.E.  The  London  Times,  speaking  of  the  corps  selected  for 
the  Pacific  coast,  said  :  '"  Whenever  her  Majesty's  Government  want 
a  body  of  skilful,  intelligent  and  industrious  mechanics  to  perform 
any  task  requiring  peculiar  judgment,  energy  and  accuracy,  such  as 
the  arrangement  of  a  great  exhibition,  the  execution  of  an  accurate 


230  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

survey,  or  even  the  construction  of  houses,  roads  and  bridges,  in  a 
.new  colony,  they  have  only  to  turn  to  the  corps  of  Royal  Engineers, 
and  they  find  all  the  material  they  want." 

To  CAPTAIN  PARSONS  was  given  charge  of  despatches  for  Governor 
Douglas.  Under  separate  cover,  he  also  sent  a  despatch  with  the 
same  bearer,  as  follows  : 

"  DOWNING  STREET,  September  1st,  1858. 

"  SIR, — 1  have  the  honor  to  introduce  to  you  Captain  Parsons,  the 
bearer  of  this  despatch,  who,  in  the  pursuance  of  the  intention  which 
I  have  already  communicated  to  you,  has  been  directed  to  repair  to 
British  Columbia,  accompanied  by  twenty  non-commissioned  officers 
and  men  of  the  Royal  Engineers. 

"  I  need  scarcely  observe  to  you  that  the  object  for  which  this 
officer  and  his  party  have  been  detached  to  British  Columbia  is  for 
the  exclusive  service  of  that  colony.  You  will,  therefore,  afford  him 
every  assistance  in  your  power  for  enabling  him  to  commence  imme- 
diately such  operations  in  it  as  j-hall  appear  to  him  to  be  necessary, 
in  anticipation  of  his  commanding  officer,  Colonel  Moody,  R.E.,  who 
will  follow  him  with  as  much  rapidity  as  practicable.  And  I  trust 
that,  if  Captain  Parsons  should  require  the  temporary  occupation  for 
his  party  of  the  trading-posts  up  the  country,  which  belong  to  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  you  will  take  measures  for  affording  him  such 
accp  m  m  odation . " 

CAPTAIN  PARSONS  was  also  the  bearer  of  the  commission,  dated 
Sept.  2nd,  and  the  instructions  for  Governor  Douglas,  as  well  as  an 
order-in-council  of  the  same  date  empowering  him  to  make  provision 
for  the  administration  of  justice,  and  to  establish  all  such  laws  as 
might  be  necessary  for  the  peace,  order  and  good  government  of 
British  Columbia,  and  also  of  the  same  date,  the  Queen's  revocation 
of  the  Crown  grant  or  charter  of  the  30th  May,  1838,  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company,  in  so  far  as  the  said  grant  embraces  or  extends  to  the 
territories  comprised  within  the  colony  of  British  Columbia. 

COLONEL  MOODY  APPOINTED. — By  the  same  overland  mail,  another 
despatch  was  sent  by  Lord  Lytton  to  Governor  Douglas,  acquainting 
him  that  Colonel  Moody  had  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the 
Koyal  Engineers,  and  had  also  been  selected  for  the  office  of  Chief 
Commissioner  of  lands  and  works  in  British  Columbia  ;  and  that  a 
copy  of  the  instructions  had  been  addressed  to  Colonel  Moody, 
with  reference  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties  in  that  capacity,  and 
specifying  the  amount  of  regimental  pay  and  colonial  allowances  to 
which  he  and  the  commissioned  and  non-commissioned  officers  and 
sappers  of  the  detachment  are  entitled. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD, 


231 


His  INSTRUCTIONS. — A  letter  containing  the  instructions  to  Colonel 
Moody  referred  to  above,  dated  Aug.  23rd,  says  : 

;.  |"  It  is  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  the  governor  is  the  supreme 
•authority  in  the  colony.  That  you  will  concert  with  him,  and  take 
his  orders  as  to  the  spots  in  the  colony  to  which  vour  attention  as  to 
surveys,  etc.,  should  be  immediately  and  principally  directed.  That 
jou  will  advise  and  render  him  all  the  assistance  in  your  power,  in 
the  difficult  situation  in  which  it  is  probable  that  he  will  be  placed 
lor  some  time.  The  governor  will  be  instructed  to  regard  your 
duties  as  special,  and  that  they  are  not  on  any  account  to  be 
interfered  with,  except  under  circumstances  of  the  greatest  gravity, 
so  that  all  possible  conflict  of  duties  may  be  avoided.  On  this  point 
Lord  Lytton  feels  persuaded  that  yoiir  character  and  colonial 
experience  are  sufficient  guarantees  against  any  discordance  with  the 
governor.  .  .  . 

"It  is  well  to  understand  that  her  Majesty's  Government  count 
on  the  immediate  raising  of  large  revenues  from  the  land  sales 
and  other  resources  of  the  colony,  sufficient  to  defray  from  the  outset 
the  expenses  of  the  survey,  and  of  all  other  except  the  salary  of  the 
governor.  And  you  will  afford  the  governor,  though  without 
shackling  his  discretion,  the  benefits  of  your  talents  and  experience 
in  any  suggestions  for  ensuring,  at  the  earliest  period,  this  paramount 
object. 

"The  rates  of  pay  and  allowances  which  have  been  settled  for 
officers  and  men  are  as  follows : 


OFFICERS. 

Regimental  pay         Colonial 
per  annum.  allowance.          Total. 

1  chief    commissioner    of    lands   and 

works,  Colonel  Moody,  R.  E £330  £1,200  £1 ,530 

1  captain    . . . 202  350  552 

1  second  captain  202  350  552 

1  third  captain 202  350  552 

2  subalterns  125  250  375 

NON-COMMISSIONED   OFFICERS    AND    SAPPERS. 

Regimenta  I  pay     Working  pay 
per  diem.  per  diem. 

1  color- sergeant  and  acting  sergeant-major    .       3s.  10|  3s.  to  5s. 

1  sergeant  and  acting  quarter-master  sergeant     3s.  4^  3s.  to  5s. 

7  sergeants  (each) 2s. lOf  3s.  to  5s. 

8  first  corporals 2s.  2j  Is.  to  4s. 

8  second  corporals Is.  104  1s-  *°  ^8> 

2  buglers , .  Is.  2^  Is.  to  4s. 

123  sappers Is.  2^  Is.  to  4s. 

"  It  is  agreed  that  you  shall  remain  in  the  colony  one  year  from 
the  date  of  your  arrival,  and  that  you  will  not  quit  it  unless  you  are 
satisfied  that  the  officer  you  leave  in  charge  is  fully  competent  to  the 


232  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

work  before  him,  and  that  the  public  service  is  not  prejudiced  by 
your  return  to  England.  Should  you  desire  to  stay  longer  for  the 
execution  of  works  in  which  you  are  actively  engaged,  and  to  which 
yon  consider  your  presence  essential,  you  will  communicate  that  wish 
to  her  Majesty's  Government.  You  will  make  it  your  care  to  furnish 
this  department,  from  time  to  time,  with  full  reports  of  the  various- 
resources  and  capabilities  of  the  colony,  according  to  the  information 
which  the  exercise  of  your  functions  will  necessarily  give  you,  and 
with  a  view  to  the  development  of  the  social  and  industrial  prosperity 
and  welfare  of  the  colony — its  mines,  its  fisheries,  the  quality  of  its 
coal,  the  nature  of  the  soil,  the  maritime  approaches  to  the  colony,  if 
held  distinct  from  the  Island.  These  reports  will  be  sent  to  this, 
department  through  the  governor." 


CHAPTEE   IV. 


FURTHER  INSTRUCTIONS  AND  APPOINTMENTS. 

THE  TRANSMISSION  OF  MAILS  is  also  made  the  subject  of  a  despatch 
to  Governor  Douglas.  Lord  Lytton  transmits  to  him  the  corre- 
spondence between  the  colonial  office  and  the  treasury  on  the  subject. 
The  Postmaster-General  concludes  that  letters  will  be  forwarded 
with  the  greatest  advantage  via  Panama.  Owing  to  the  bad  con- 
nection between  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the  steamers  on  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Pacific,  an  arrangement  was  recommended  to  be 
made  between  her  Majesty's  Postmaster-General  and  the  Postmaster 
of  the  United  States,  so  that  a  more  advantageous  service  than  the 
present  might  be  entered  into. 

THE  ABORIGINES  PROTECTION  SOCIETY  having  heard  of  the  reckless 
inhumanity  of  the  gold-diggers  in  the  State  of  California,  addressed  a 
letter  to  the  colonial  secretary,  stating  that  for  many  years  the  society 
had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  Indian  tribes  to  the  west  as  well  as 
the  east  of  the  Ro3ky  Mountains,  and  that  as  it  was  understood  that 
the  natives  generally  entertained  ineradicable  feelings  of  hostility 
against  the  "  Americans,"  who  are  pouring  into  the  new  colony  by 
thousands,  and  who  will  probably  value  Indian  life  there  as  cheaply 
as  they  did  in  California,  the  society  point  out  the  justice  and 
necessity  of  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD. 

natives.  A  copy  of  the  letter  was  forwarded  to  Governor  Douglas, 
with  injunctions  to  him  to  secure  the  object  desired.  No  one  could 
have  been  appealed  to  more  ready  or  willing  fco  befriend  the  natives 
than  Governor  Douglas,  or  to  see  that  they  received  justice  as  far  as 
lay  in  his  power. 

THE  LAST  DETACHMENT  of  the  Royal  Engineers  for  service  in 
British  Columbia  sailed  from  "the  Downs,"  on  September  17th,  on 
the  clipper  ship  Thames  City,  557  tons,  commanded  by  Captain 
Glover.  It  consisted  of  two  officers,  one  staff'  assistant  surgeon,, 
eighteen  non-commissioned  officers  and  men,  thirty-one  women,  and 
thirty-four  children,  the  whole  under  the  command  of  Captain  R.  H. 
Luard,  R.E.  The  voyage  round  Cape  Horn  occupied  175  days. 

GRANTS  OF  LAND. — It  was  arranged  that  the  men  and  non- 
commissioned officers  of  the  Royal  Engineers  who  should  go  to  British 
Columbia  should  receive  grants  of  agricultural,  not  mining  land,  not 
exceeding  thirty  acres  each,  after  six  years'  continuous  and  good 
faithful  service  within  the  colony,  if  desired. 

JUDGE  BEGBIE'S  APPOINTMENT.— The  budget  of  despatches  from 
Lord  Lytton,  under  date  September  2,  also  contained  forms  of 
proclamations  to  be  issued  by  Governor  Douglas,  one  declaring 
British  law  to  be  in  force  in  British  Columbia,  and  another 
indemnifying  the  governor  and  other  officers  for  acts  done  before 
the  establishment  of  any  legitimate  authority  in  British  Columbia ; 
also  a  notification  that  Mr.  Begbie  had  been  commissioned  to  act  as 
judge  of  Britisli  Columbia  (salary  ,£800),  and  would  proceed  by  next 
packet  (October  2) — adding  in  reference  to  Judge  Begbie,  that  he 
had  been  fully  instructed  that,  "  although  invested  with  the  very 
important  office  of  judge,  he  will  nevertheless  have  the  kindness,  for 
the  present  at  least,  to  lend  you  his  general  aid  for  the  compilation 
of  the  necessary  laws  and  other  legal  business.  This  is  the  more 
proper  duty  of  an  attorney-general  ;  and  should  the  colony  advance, 
as  seems  at  present  possible,  the  services  of  such  an  officer  will  no 
doubt  be  urgently  required."  .  .  . 

CONFIDENCE  IN  GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS. — Lord  Lytton  concludes : 

"With  these  few  observations,  I  leave  with  confidence  in  your 
hands  the  powers  entrusted  to  you  by  her  Majesty's  Government. 
These  powers  are  indeed  of  very  serious  and  unusual  extent,  but  her 
Majesty's  Government  fully  rely  on  your  moderation  and  discretion 
in  the  use  of  them.  You  are  aware  that  they  have  only  been  granted 
in  so  unusual  a  form  on  account  of  the  very  unusual  circumstances 
which  have  called  into  being  the  colony  committed  to  your  charge,. 


234  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

and  which  may  for  some  time  continue  to  characterize  it.  To 
use  them,  except  for  the  most  necessary  purposes,  would  be,  in  truth, 
to  abuse  them  greatly.  They  are  required  for  the  maintenance  of 
British  law  and  British  habits  of  order,  and  for  regulating  the  special 
questions  to  which  the  condition  and  employment  of  the  population 
may  give  birth.  But  the  office  of  legislation,  in  the  higher  and 
more  general  sense,  should  be  left  for  the  legislature  which  may  be 
hereafter  constituted,  and  which  her  Majesty's  Government  hope  will 
be  constituted  at  the  first  time  consistent  with  the  general  interests 
of  the  colony.  And  you  will  above  all  remember  that  the  ordinary 
rights  and  privileges  of  British  subjects,  and  of  those  foreigners  who 
dwell  under  British  protection,  must  be  sedulously  maintained,  and 
that  no  innovation  contrary  to  the  principles  of  our  law  can  be 
justified,  except  for  purposes  of  absolute  and  temporary  necessity. 

"  I  will  only  add  that,  although  it  has  been  judged  prudent  not  to 
make  the  revocation  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  license  take 
^effect  until  proclaimed  by  yourself,  it  is  the  particular  instructions  of 
her  Majesty's  Government  that  you  proclaim  it  with  the  least 
practicable  delay,  so  that  no  questions  like  those  which  have  already 
arisen  as  to  the  extent  and  nature  of  the  Company's  rights  can 
possibly  occur." 

COLLECTOR  OF  CUSTOMS. — Mr.  Wymond  Hamley  was  appointed  on 
the  16th  of  September,  as  collector  of  customs  for  British  Columbia, 
at  a  salary  of  .£400  per  annum.  Governor  Douglas  was  notified  that 
Mr.  Hamley  would  proceed  in  the  Thames  City  in  the  course  of  a  few 
•days.  The  despatch  says  : 

44  With  respect  to  offices  generally,  which  the  public  exigencies 
may  compel  you  to  create,  and  for  which  selections  should  be  made 
in  England,  I  have  to  observe  that  I  consider  it  of  great  importance 
to  the  general  social  welfare  and  dignity  of  the  colony  that  gentlemen 
should  be  encouraged  to  come  from  this  kingdom,  not  as  mere 
adventurers  seeking  employment,  but  in  the  hope  of  obtaining 
professional  occupations  for  which  they  are  calculated ;  such,  for 
instance,  as  stipendiary  magistrates  or  gold  commissioners. 

"  You  will,  therefore,  report  to  me  at  your  early  convenience, 
whether  there  is  any  field  for  such  situations,  and  describe  as 
accurately  as  you  can  the  peculiar  qualifications  which  are  requisite, 
in  order  that  T  may  assist  you  by  making  the  best  selections  in  my 
power.  It  is  quite  natural  that  the  servants  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  should,  from  their  knowledge  of  business,  their  abilities 
and  services,  have  a  very  fair  claim  to  consideration  and  share  in 
the  disposal  of  the  local  patronage.  But  caution  should  be  observed 
against  yielding  to  any  appearance  of  undue  favor  or  exclusiveness  to 
the  servants  of  that  company.  You  will  carefully  remember  that  the 
public  interests  are  the  first  consideration,  and  that  it  should  be 
known  that  employment  in  the  public  service  is  as  open  and  fair  in 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  235 

British  Columbia  as  in  every  other  of  the  Queen's  colonial  possessions. 
For  these  reasons  it  is  still  more  desirable  that  careful  appointments 
should  be  made  in  England.  You  will  not  fail  to  write  to  me  fullv 
by  each  mail,  as  her  Majesty's  Government  wish  to  know  everything 
that  passes  of  importance  in  British  Columbia." 

MINERS'  LICENSES. — When  writing  on  miners'  claims  and  licenses, 
in  a  despatch,  dated  October  14th,  Lord  Lytlon  says,  referring  to  the 
license  which  Governor  Douglas  had  imposed,  of  21s.  per  month  on 
each  miner  : 

"  That  such  an  arrangement  may  on  the  whole  be  most  congenial 
to  the  disposition  of  the  Californian  miners  whom  you  may  have  to 
consider ;  but  it  was  the  system  of  enforcing,  from  time  to  time,  the 
license  fee  which  created  in  the  colony  of  Victoria  so  much  dissatis- 
faction, and  ultimately  led  to  the  Ballarat  riot,  and  to  the  adoption 
of  new  rules.  The  Victorian  system  was  in  the  main  the  same  as 
that  which  you  have  apparently  adopted.  It  exacted  a  fee  of  XI 
from  each  miner  per  month,  and,  as  Sir  Charles  llotham,  says  in 
a  despatch,  21st  November,  1855,  to  Sir  William  Molesworth,  'the 
great  and  primary  cause  of  complaint  which  I  found  was  undoubtedly 
the  license  fee.' 

"It  was  then  decided  that  the  monthly  license  fee  should  be 
abolished,  and  be  replaced,  independently  of  royalties,  first,  by  a 
miner's  annual  certificate  of  £1;  secondly,  by  the  payment  of  £10  per 
annum  on  every  acre  of  alluvial  soil  ;  and  thirdly,  by  an  indirect  tax 
in  the  shape  of  2s.  6d.  export  duty  on  the  ounce  of  gold.  Experience 
seems,  as  far  as  we  yet  know,  to  have  justified  this  change  in  Victoria. 
Discontent,  with  its  attendant  dangers,  has  been  removed  ;  and  by 
the  present  system,  which  appears  to  be  acquiesced  in  by  all  parties, 
a  larger  revenue  is  obtained  than  ever  was  the  case  under  the  earlier 
arrangement.  I  observe,  indeed,  by  the  last  Victorian  returns  for 
1856,  that  the  duties  on  the  export  of  gold  amounted  to  more  than 
£376,000." 

MILITARY  ASSISTANCE. — A  despatch,  dated  October  16th,  refers 
especially  to  the  military  assistance  which  had  been  placed  at 
Governor  Douglas's  service,  if  required,  under  Admiral  Baynes  at 
Esquimalt,  and  the  Royal  Engineers,  twenty  and  twelve  men  under 
Captain  Parsons  and  Captain  Grant  respectively,  in  advance  of  the 
main  detachment  ;  that  with  the  first  detachment  he,  Lord  Lytton, 
had  forwarded  the  governor's  commission,  having  immediately  on  the 
return  of  the  Queen  from  the  Continent  obtained  her  Majesty's 
signature  to  the  commission,  and  took  it  on  board  the  vessel  where 
Captain  Parsons  was  in  charge  of  the  engineers.  .  .  .  The 
despatch  continues  : 


236  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

"It  is  my  object  to  provide  for,  or  to  suggest  to  you  how  to  meet,, 
all  unforeseen  exigencies  to  the  colony  as  they  may  arise  ;  but  my 
views  are  based  on  the  assumption  that  the  common  interest  in  life- 
and  property  will  induce  the  immigrants  to  combine  amongst  them- 
selves for  ordinary  purposes,  and  that  when  danger  needing  military 
force  arises,  they  will  readily  gather  around  and  swell  the  force, 
which  will  thus  expand  as  circumstances  require.  From  England  we 
send  skill  and  discipline;  the  raw  material  (that  is,  the  mere  men),  a 
colony  intended  for  free  institutions,  and  on  the  border  of  so  powerful 
a  neighbor  as  the  United  States  of  America,  should  learn  betimes  of 
itself  to  supply. 

"Referring  to  the  laudable  co-operation  in  the  construction  of  the 
road  which  has  been  evoked  by  your  energy  from  the  good  sense  and 
public  spirit  of  the  miners,  I  rejoice  to  see  how  fully  that  instance  of 
the  zeal  and  intelligence  to  be  expected  from  the  voluntary  efforts  of 
immigrants,  uniting  in  the  furtherance  of  interests  common  to  them 
all,  bears  out  the  principle  of  policy  on  which  I  designed  to  construct 
a  colony  intended  for  self-government,  and  trained  to  its  exercise  by 
self-reliance.  The  same  characteristics  which  have  made  these  settlers 
combine  so  readily  in  the  construction  of  a  road,  will,  I  trust,  under 
the  same  able  and  cheering  influence  which  you  prove  that  you  know 
so  well  how  to  exercise,  cause  them  equally  to  unite  in  the  formation 
of  a  police,  in  the  establishment  of  law,  in  the  collection  of  revenue, 
in  short  in  all  which  may  make  individual  life  secure  and  the  com- 
munity prosperous.  I  trust  you  will  assure  the  hardy  and  spirited 
men  who  have  assisted  in  this  preliminary  undertaking,  how  much 
their  conduct  is  appreciated  by  her  Majesty's  Government. 

"  I  feel  thankful  for  the  valuable  services  so  seasonably  and 
efficiently  rendered  by  the  Satellite  and  Plumper.  I  cannot  conclude 
without  a  cordial  expression  of  my  sympathy  in  the  difficulties  you 
have  encountered,  and  of  my  sense  of  the  ability,  the  readiness  of 
resource,  the  wise  and  manly  temper  of  conciliation  which  you  have 
so  signally  displayed  ;  and  I  doubt  not  that  you  will  continue  to 
show  the  same  vigor  and  the  same  discretion  in  its  exercise ;  and 
you  may  rely  with  confidence  on  whatever  support  and  aid  her 
Majesty's  Government  can  afford  you." 

ROAD  CONSTRUCTION. — The  construction  of  the  road  referred  to 
was  on  the  left  bank  of  Harrison  River  and  Lillooet  Lake,  to  connect 
Anderson  with  Harrison  Lake,  the  total  distance  bstween  these  two 
points  being  about  eighty  miles  of  land  carriage  over  a  generally  level 
country.  The  men  employed  on  that  work  were  miners,  who  were 
anxious  to  have  the  road  opened  for  their  own  accommodation  in  the 
first  place.  It  was  accomplished  as  follows:  A  party  of  about  five 
hundred  of  all  nations  volunteered  their  services.  They  offered  to 
make  a  money  deposit  of  $25  each  in  the  hands  of  the  Government,. 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD.  237 

as  security  for  good  conduct.  They  were  to  receive  no  pay  for  their 
work,  the  Government  merely  agreeing  to  supply  them  with  food 
while  employed  on  the  road,  and  to  transport  them  free  of  expense 
to  the  commencement  of  the  road  on  Harrison  Lake,  where  the 
deposit  money  of  $25  would  be  repaid  to  them  in  provisions  at 
Yictoria  prices  when  the  road  was  finished.  The  work  was  com- 
pleted in  the  most  expeditious  manner,  the  men  working  with  good 
will  as  they  were  each  interested  in  the  road. 

DELIVERY  OF  PROVISIONS. — The  men  were  divided  into  twenty 
companies  of  twenty-five  men ;  each  company  under  the  command 
of  a  captain,  who  carried  all  orders  into  effect,  reported  to  the  com- 
mander of  the  corps,  and  drew  upon  the  commissary  for  the  weekly 
supplies  of  food.  An  engineer,  with  guides  and  Indians  acquainted 
with  the  country,  blazed  the  trees  and  marked  out  the  road  in  advance 
of  the  main  body.  The  route  proved  of  great  advantage  during 
the  mining  excitement.  There  was  some  slight  disagreement  about 
having  the  provisions  delivered  at  the  upper  instead  of  the  lower  end 
of  the  road.  This  was  settled  by  having  them  delivered  half  way 
from  the  lower  end. 

PETER  BROWN'S  MURDER. — Up  to  the  time  of  this  great  stir  and 
gold  fever  on  the  mainland,  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island  had  been 
working  its  way  along  in  rather  a  quiet  manner.  There  had  been  a 
few  difficulties  with  the  Cowichin  Indians,  who  indulged,  now  and 
then,  in  stealing  some  of  the  settlers'  cattle.  Two  natives  of  that 
tribe,  in  L^ecember,  1852,  had  murdered  PETER  BROWN,  one  of  the 
Company's  shepherds.  That  crime  must  be  punished,  and  Governor 
Douglas  secured  the  murderers  in  his  own  quiet  way.  One  of  the 
murderers,  it  was  reported,  had  taken  refuge  with  the  tribe  at 
Saanich  ;  the  other  had  fled  to  Nanainco.  Captain  Kuper,  of  the 
war  vessel  Thetis,  then  at  Esquimalt,  volunteered  to  assist  in  their 
•capture.  The  offer  was  graciously  accepted,  as  the  tribe  was  fierce 
and  numerous.  A  sufficient  force  was  transferred  from  the  Thetis, 
and  placed  on  board  the  Company's  vessel  Recovery,  which  was  then, 
on  January  4th,  1853,  towed  by  the  war  steamer  round  into  Haro 
Strait  for  fair  wind  and  tide — Governor  Douglas  taking  command. 

A  DEMAND  MADE. — Opposite  the  village  of  Saanich,  the  vessel 
<jame  to  anchor.  Douglas  went  ashore,  but  the  culprit  was  absent — 
he  had  gone  to  Cowichin.  The  Recovery  proceeded  north,  arriving  at 
Cowichin  early  on  the  morning  of  the  6th.  A  demand  was  made  for 
the  murderer.  The  chief  asked  for  time  to  consider— this  was 


238  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

granted.  A  meeting  was  next  appointed  for  final  conference  on 
shore  next  day.  At  the  time  appointed,  the  forces  from  the 
vessel  landed.  The  Cowichin  chief  with  a  few  attendants  met  them. 
A  tent  was  pitched  on  a  knoll,  and  then  the  white  men  waited  the 
arrival  of  the  chiefs  followers.  Shortly  after  the  chief  requested  the 
withdrawal  of  the  troops  a  little  out  of  sight,  lest  his  people  should 
be  afraid  to  land.  This  was  done,  and  yet,  nearly  an  hour  elapsed 
before  any  of  them  appeared.  Then  two  canoes  were  seen  making 
their  way  quietly  out  of  the  river.  After  them  came  six  other 
canoes,  larger  ones,  all  in  a  line. 

THE  MURDERER  PRODUCED. — Paddling  slowly  along  the  shore, 
chanting  their  war  song,  drumming  on  their  canoes,  and  whooping 
like  demons,  they  passed  by  the  council  ground  and  landed  a  little 
beyond ;  then  rushing  up  the  hill,  shouting  and  clashing  their  arms 
as  if  to  strike  with  terror  any  army  daring  to  oppose  them,  they 
stood  glaring  ferociously  at  the  intruders.  It  was  with  difficulty 
Douglas  could  restrain  his  men  from  firing ;  gradually,  however, 
the  savages  became  quieter.  They  then  produced  the  murderer,  armed 
and  painted  from  head  to  foot.  The  prisoner  made  a  lengthy  speech 
declaring  his  innocence.  After  parleying  and  replies,  he  was  handed 
over  to  the  white  men,  and  taken  on  board  to  be  tried  at  Victoria. 
The  governor  impressed  upon  them  the  advantage  of  keeping  the  laws 
of  the  country,  which  if  they  did  not,  they  would  be  severely 
punished.  Presents  were  distributed  amongst  them,  which  elicited 
promises  of  good  behavior  and  loyalty,  and  the  forces  withdrew. 

MARINES  AND  BLUE  JACKETS. — The  other  murderer  must  next  be 
followed  to  Nanaimo.  The  expedition,  therefore,  appeared  before 
that  village  on  the  10th  and  demanded  a  conference,  which  was 
promised  for  the  following  day.  Governor  Douglas  was  again  in 
command.  The  steamer  Beaver  on  this  occasion  towed  the  Recovery, 
which  had  on  board  a  party  of  marines  and  blue  jackets  from  the 
Thetis  to  assist  if  required.  Mr.  J.  W.  McKay,  who  was  at  the  time 
in  charge  of  the  coal  works  at  Nanaimo,  was  ordered  to  take  twenty- 
one  voltigeurs,  and  secrete  them  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  to 
watch  the  Indian  village  that  no  one  should  leave  during  the  night. 
One  of  the  sentries  observed  at  daylight,  a  small  canoe  with  an 
Indian  paddling  from  the  shore.  He  was  at  once  pursued,  and  an 
alarm  given  on  passing  the  Recovery.  A  launch  from  the  ship  soon 
followed,  and  overtook  and  passed  the  voltigeurs,  overhauling  the 
canoe  with  its  solitary  passenger,  who,  on  examination,  proved  to  be 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD. 

a  scout  sent  to  warn   a  neighboring  tribe.      From   him  they  received 
particulars  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  murderer. 

RANSOM  OFFERED  IN  FURS. — Early  in  the  morning  the  natives 
arrived  at  the  Beaver  with  large  quantities  of  furs,  which  they  offered 
to  give  up  in  place  of  the  murderer.  They  were  informed  that  no 
amount  of  property  could  be  taken  as  a  price  of  the  crime.  The  force 
therefore  landed  to  search  the  village.  They  found  it  deserted,  but 
did  not  touch  any  part  of  the  property.  Soon  afterward  the  chief 
appeared,  and  after  a  short  parley,  the  murderer,  who  was  one  of  the 
chief's  sons,  was  handed  over  to  the  marines  to  be  tried  at  Victoria. 
Thus  both  were  captured  without  bloodshed.  They  were  afterwards 
convicted  and  executed  at  Victoria. 

ANOTHER  DIFFICULTY. — Not  long  afterwards  a  white  man  was 
shot  at  by  a  Cowichin  Indian,  but  not  killed,  although  severely 
wounded.  The  occurrence  brought  Governor  Douglas  to  deal  with 
the  case.  Another  party  of  men  from  the  war  vessel  appeared 
opposite  Cowichin  to  support  the  governor.  The  natives  were 
requested  to  surrender  the  culprit,  but  refused,  and  showed  a 
disposition  to  fight.  The  governor  landed  his  forces  and  drew 
them  up  in  position  on  the  hill-side.  The  Indians  formed  nearly 
opposite.  A  parley  was  demanded.  The  chief  came  forward,  but 
would  not  then  come  to  terms.  Governor  Douglas,  unwilling  to  shed 
blood  if  it  could  be  avoided,  ordered  his  men  to  encamp  on  the 
defensive,  with  mountain  howitzer  and  muskets. 

TRIED  TO  SHOOT  THE  GOVERNOR. — Next  morning  the  chief  was 
again  summoned  to  meet  the  governor  in  front  of  his  men.  Instead 
of  the  chief,  the  culprit  himself  came  forward,  armed  and  painted, 
followed  at  a  short  distance  by  the  chief  and  Indian  warriors.  He 
walked  slowly  and  apparently  hesitatingly,  then  suddenly  raised  his 
gun,  levelled  it  at  the  governor  and  pulled  the  trigger.  It  missed 
fire,  otherwise  the  governor  would  likely  have  been  killed  ;  but  he 
gave  no  order  for  his  men  to  fire.  The  chief  seeing  this,  gave  orders 
to  seize  the  offender,  the  governor  calmly  looking  on.  The  would-be 
murderer  was  bound  by  the  savages  and  handed  over  to  the  whites 
for  trial.  The  trial  took  place  immediately,  and  the  Indian  was 
hanged  on  the  nearest  tree,  in  full  view  of  the  tribe.  The  Cowichins. 
were  quiet  from  that  day  forward. 


240  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEK  V. 


THE  BOUNDARY— STRAITS  OF  FUCA. 

THE  SAN  JUAN  BOUNDARY  QUESTION  which  had  been  in  abeyance 
since  1846,  came  forward  prominently  in  1856.  In  that  year  the 
United  States  Government  appointed  a  commission  to  settle  the 
•disputed  line  of  boundary  which,  following  the  49th  parallel  of  north 
latitude  to  the  sea,  was  then  to  continue  to  "  the  centre  of  the  Gulf  of 
•Georgia,  and  thence  southward  through  the  channel  which  separates 
the  continent  from  Vancouver  Island,  to  the  Straits  of  Juan  de 
Fuca."  The  British  Government  at  the  same  time  appointed  com- 
missioners for  the  same  purpose.  In  the  autumn  of  1856,  Captain 
Prevost  was  first  selected,  and  was  ordered  to  commission  H.M.S. 
Satellite,  and  proceed  to  Vancouver  Island.  It  had  been  found  that 
no  accurate  chart  existed  of  the  islands  in  the  straits  or  of  the 
•channels ;  so  it  was  determined  by  the  Admiralty  that  a  surveying 
vessel  should  be  despatched,  iri  the  first  place  to  make  a  complete 
survey  of  the  disputed  waters,  and  afterwards  to  continue  the  survey 
along  the  coasts  of  Vancouver  Island  and  the  mainland  of  the  British 
territory.  Captain  George  Henry  Richards  was  selected  and  ordered 
to  commission  H.M.S.  Plumper. 

THE  BOUNDARY  COMMISSIONERS. — On  the  18th  of  November,  1857, 
Captain  Richards  proceeded  from  Esquimalt  up  the  Haro  Strait 
and  across  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  to  Semiahmoo,  or  Boundary  Bay, 
to  determine  the  exact  spot  where  the  parallel  of  49°  north  latitude 
reached  the  sea-coast.  The  United  States  Commission  consisted  of 
Archibald  Campbell,  Commissioner,  appointed  14th  February,  1857; 
Lieutenant  Parke,  of  the  United  States  Topographical  Engineers, 
Asffconomer ;  two  or  three  assistant  astronomers,  a  doctor,  naturalist, 
botanist,  and  a  captain  and  subaltern  in  command  of  the  military 
•escort,  which  numbered  about  seventy  men.  They  had  already  made 
their  observations,  and  were  encamped  near  the  computed  line  of 
parallel,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  British  Commission  to  confirm 
their  work.  On  being  tested,  the  spot  was  found  to  differ  only  eight 
feet  from  that  fixed  upon  by  the  United  States  Commission.  An 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  241 

iron  monument  was  placed  on  the  north  shore  of  Semiahmoo  Bay  to 
mark  the  boundary.  It  was  four  feet  high,  four  and  a  half  inches 
square  at  the  top  and  six  inches  square  at  the  base ;  the  words 
"Treaty  of  Washington,"  on  the  north  side,  and  "June  15th,  1846," 
on  the  south  side. 

CAPTAIN  PREVOST'S  VIEW. — The  commissioners  in  discussing  where 
the  line  should  be  located,  could  not  agree  on  the  channel  referred  to 
in  the  treaty.  From  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  east  the  line  was  run  on 
the  49th  parallel  by  the  survey  party,  and  marked  by  iron  monu- 
ments at  intervals  of  one  mile,  and  stone  monuments  twenty  miles 
apart.  A  large  cairn  was  erected  on  the  boundary  line  at  East 
Kootenay.  Referring  to  the  views  of  the  commissioners,  Captain 
Prevost  gave  as  his  view,  that,  "by  a  careful  consideration  of  the 
wording  of  the  treaty,  it  would  seem  distinctly  to  provide  that  the 
channel  mentioned  should  possess  three  characteristics :  First,  it 
should  separate  the  continent  from  Vancouver  Island ;  second,  it 
should  admit  of  the  boundary  line  being  carried  through  the  middle 
•of  the  channel  in  a  southerly  direction  ;  third,  it  should  be  a  navigable 
channel.  To  these  three  peculiar  conditions  the  channel  known  as 
Rosario  Straits  most  entirely  answers." 

MR.  CAMPBELL'S  CONTENTION. — The  United  States  commissioner 
•contended  that,  according  to  the  latest  surveys,  the  Canal  de  Haro 
was  "pronounced  the  widest,  deepest  and  best  channel,"  besides  being 
a  much  shorter  communication  between  the  Pacific  Ocean  than  that 
by  the  way  of  Rosario  Strait.  The  correspondence  on  this  subject 
was  protracted  and  voluminous.  The  British  authorities  claimed  that, 
as  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  had  occupied  the  Island  of  San  Juan 
since  1843,  it  properly  belonged  to  Vancouver  Island,  and  that,  if 
Rosario  Strait  was  considered  too  far  south,  there  was  a  middle 
channel  which  could  be  adopted  as  the  line  of  boundary  between  the 
British  possessions  and  the  United  States.  The  discussion  continued 
for  two  years,  during  which  time  about  thirty  squatters  claiming  to 
be  United  States  citizens  settled  on  San  Juan. 

THE  CENTRAL  CHANNEL. — The  result  of  the  survey  in  which  Captain 
Richards  had  been  engaged,  showed  that  in  addition  to  the  Rosario 
Strait  and  to  the  Haro  Channel,  a  third  navigable  channel  existed 
which  connected  Fuca  Straits  with  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  As  soon  as 
this  was  made  known  to  the  British  Government,  and  in  view  of  the 
difference  of  opinion  between  the  commissioners  as  to  which  of  the 
already  mentioned  channels  should  become  the  boundary,  Lord 
16 


242 


HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


Russell,  then  head  of  the  foreign  office,  on  August  24th,  1859r 
addressed  a  despatch  to  Lord  Lyons,  the  British  minister  at  Wash- 
ington, in  which  he  proposed  a  compromise  by  adopting  the  central 
channel.  The  commissioners,  Messrs.  Richards  and  Campbell,  finding 
that  neither  was  prepared  to  defer  to  the  arguments  of  the  other, 
and  that  under  the  circumstances  it  was  useless  to  continue  their 
correspondence  on  the  subject,  signed,  on  3rd  December,  1867,  a 

minute  recording  their  dis- 
agreement, and  adjourning 
their  proceedings  until  cir- 
cumstances should  render  it 
necessary  for  them  to  take 
further  steps. 

LORD  RUSSELL,  in  the  de- 
spatch referred  to,  says : 

"  The  Earl  of  Aberdeen, 
to  whom  I  am  referred,  in- 
forms me  that  he  distinctly 
remembers  the  general  tenor 
of  his  conversations  with 
Mr.  McLane  on  the  subject 
of  the  Oregon  boundary,  and 
it  is  certain  that  it  was  the 
intention  of  the  treaty  to 
adopt  the  mid-channel  of 
the  straits  as  the  line  of  de- 
marcation without  any  re- 
ference to  islands,  the  posi- 
tion and  indeed  the  very 
existence  of  which  had 
hardly  at  that  time  been 
accurately  ascertained  ;  and 
he  has  no  recollection  of  any 
mention  having  been  made 

during  the  discussion  of  the  Canal  de  Haro,  or,  indeed,  p,ny  other 
channel  than  those  described  in  the  treaty  itself. 

"  Her  Majesty's  Government  trust  that,  as  between  this  country 
and  the  United  States,  the  day  for  tedious  arbitrations,  and  still  more 
for  hostile  demonstrations,  is  gone  by  ;  they  see  no  reason  why  this, 
and,  indeed,  any  other  question  which  may,  from  time  to  time,  arise, 
should  not  be  settled  by  direct  and  friendly  communication  between 
the  two  governments.  .  .  .  The  third  channel  as  reported  by 
Captain  Richards,  answers  in  respect  to  its  central  position  and 
southerly  direction,  to  the  channel  described  in  the  treaty ;  and 
assuming  it  to  have  been  the  intention  of  the  plenipotentiaries  that 


NvdL 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  243 

the  several  channels  connecting  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  with  Fuca 
Straits  should  be  considered  for  the  purpose  of  the  treaty  as  one 
channel,  it  may  fairly  be  argued  that  this  central  passage  would  not 
only  satisfy  the  requirements  of  the  treaty,  but  would  divide  between 
the  two  countries,  in  proportions  which  each  party  might  consent  to, 
the  cluster  of  islands  by  which  the  channel  is  intersected. 

"The  advantage  of  such  a  line  would  indeed  be  with  the  United' 
States,  for  there  are  only  three  islands  of  any  territorial  importance 
situated  between  the  Haro  Channel  and  Rosario  Straits,  viz.,  Orcas 
and  Lopez  Islands,  and  the  Island  of  San  Juan  ;  and  by  the  adoption 
of  the  central  channel  a.s  the  boundary  line,  the  first  two  named 
islands  would  belong  to  the  United  States,  while  only  the  Island 
of  San  Juan  would  remain  to  Great  Britain.  Your  Lordship  will 
accordingly  propose  to  the  United  States  Government  that  the 
boundary  line  shall  be  the  middle  channel  between  the  Continent  of 
America  and  Vancouver  Island  .  .  .  thus  denned:  'Starting 
from  the  north  in  the  parallel  48°  50'  north,  and  the  meridian  123° 
longitude  west  from  Greenwich  (as  laid  down  on  the  accompanying 
chart),  the  mid-channel  would  proceed  due  south,  passing  half  way 
between  Patos  Island  on  the  east,  and  Point  Saterina  on  the  west.' 
It  will  thus  be  observed  that  the  meridian  of  123°  longitude  west 
from  Greenwich,  starting  from  the  north  in  the  parallel  48°  50',  is 
assumed  as  the  boundary,  and  is  only  departed  from  when  forced  to 
do  so  by  the  physical  interference  of  the  islands. 

"  This  middle  channel,  though  inferior  in  some  respects  to  the  Haro 
Channel  or  to  Rosario  Straits,  is  described  by  Captain  Richards  as 
being  perfectly  safe  for  steamers,  and  also,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, navigable  for  sailing  vessels.  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
however,  do  not  consider  this  point  as  of  much  importance,  since  their 
proposition  only  extends  to  making  this  channel  the  line  of  boundary, 
and  they  do  not  propose  to  alter  in  any  way  that  stipulation  of  the 
treaty  which  secures  to  the  shipping  of  both  countries  the  free 
navigation  of  the  whole  of  the  channels  and  the  straits — a  stipulation 
advantageous  to  both  parties,  and  which  her  Majesty's  Government 
cannot  doubt  that  the  Government  of  the  United  States  will  agree 
with  them  in  thinking,  must,  under  all  circumstances,  be  maintained. 

"It  appears  to  her  Majesty's  Government  that  a  boundary  line 
traced  through  the  above  mentioned  channel,  likewise  recommends 
itself  for  adoption  as  being  in  accordance  with  the  principles  which 
regulated  the  division  between  the  two  countries  in  the  Lower 
St.  Lawrence. 

"  Her  Majesty's  Government  further  submit  to  the  Cabinet  of 
Washington,  whether,  to  a  view  to  mutual  convenience,  it  might  not 
be  desirable  that  the  small  promontory  known  as  Point  Roberts, 
should  be  left  to  Great  Britain.  The  point  is  of  no  intrinsic  value 
to  either  Government ;  but  its  possession  by  the  United  States  will 
have  the  effect  of  detaching  an  isolated  spot  of  small  dimensions  from 
the  more  convenient  jurisdiction  of  the  British  colony.  As  the 


244  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Government  of  the  United  States  will  obtain  under  the  proposal  now- 
made  the  more  valuable  portion  of  the  islands  in  the  straits,  her 
Majesty's  Government  consider  that  the  retention  of  Point  Roberts 
can  hardly  be  an  object  with  them. 

"  There  is  one  other  consideration  to  which  I  would  wish  to  draw 
the  attention  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States.  Irt  the 
discussions  between  Lord  Ashburton  and  Mr.  Webster,  which 
resulted  in  the  treaty  of  1842,  the  American  plenipotentiaries  argued 
upon  the  relative  importance  to  the  two  countries  of  the  territory 
then  in  dispute.  Her  Majesty's  Government  admitted  the  value  of 
that  argument  and  acted  upon  it.  The  same  language  was  employed 
in  1846  upon  the  Oregon  question,  and  on  both  occasions  the  United 
States  obtained  the  larger  portion  of  the  territory  in  dispute,  their 
plenipotentiaries  successfully  arguing  that  it  was  of  greater  value  to 
the  United  States  than  to  Great  Britain. 

"  Upon  the  present  occasion  this  state  of  things  is  reversed.  The 
adoption  of  the  central  channel  would  give  to  Great  Britain  the 
Island  of  San  Juan,  which  is  believed  to  be  of  little  or  no  value 
to  .the  United  States,  while  much  importance  is  attached  by 
British  colonial  authorities,  and  by  her  Majesty's  Government,  to  its 
retention  as  a  dependency  of  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island. 

"  Her  Majesty's  Government  must,  therefore,  under  any  circum- 
stances, maintain  the  right  of  the  British  crown  to  the  Island  of  San 
Juan.  The  interests  at  stake  in  connection  with  the  retention  of  that 
island  are  too  important  to  admit  of  compromise,  and  your  Lordship 
will,  consequently,  bear  in  mind  that  whatever  arrangement  as  to  the 
boundary  line  is  finally  arrived  at,  no  settlement  of  the  question  will 
be  accepted  by  her  Majesty's  Government  which  does  not  provide  for 
the  Island  of  San  Juan  being  reserved  to  the  British  Crown. 

"  Her  Majesty's  Government  hope  that  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment will  appreciate  the  arguments  you  are  instructed  to  employ, 
and  the  spirit  in  which  you  will  advance  them  ;  and  her  Majesty's 
Government  will  not  permit  themselves  to  believe  that  the  negotiation 
can,  under  such  circumstances,  fail  of  a  successful  issue. 

"  It  may  be  proper,  however,  that  you  should  make  the  Government 
of  the  United  States  understand  that  this  proposal  of  compromise, 
which  you  are  thus  instructed  to  lay  before  them  is  made  without 
prejudice  to  the  claim  which  her  Majesty's  Government  consider 
themselves  justified  in  maintaining  to  the  Rosario  Channel  as  the  true 
boundary  between  her  Majesty's  possessions  and  those  of  the  United 
States.  They  offer  the  compromise  in  the  hope  that  its  acceptance  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  may  obviate  any  further 
discussion  on  this  subject ;  but,  if  it  is  rejected,  they  reserve  to  them- 
selves the  right  to  fall  back  on  their  original  claim  to  its  full  extent." 

SQUATTERS  ON  SAN  JUAN. — Whilst  the  boundary  surveys  were  being 
made  under  the  joint  superintendence  of  Commissioners  Campbell  and 
Prevost,  other  events  were  transpiring  of  a  character  which,  but  for 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  24-5 

the  tact  and  forbearance  of  Governor  Douglas,  and  the  officers  of  the 
war  ships  at  Esquimalt,  and  also  of  Lieutenant-General  Winfield  Scott, 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  army,  might  have  plunged 
the  two  neighboring  nations  in  war.  San  Juan  Island,  as  is  already 
mentioned,  had  been  occupied  since  1843  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  and  at  the  time  under  review  had  on  the  island  a  stock 
of  five  thousand  sheep,  a  number  of  horses,  cattle  and  pigs,  and  had 
thus  by  occupation  gained  a  right  to  the  land.  Attempts  had  been 
made  from  time  to  time  by  squatters  from  the  United  States  side  to 
establish  themselves  on  the  island,  but  their  presence  was  not  desired 
by  the  parties  in  charge  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  property. 

In  1851,  W.  J.  Macdonald  (now  Senator 
Macdonald)  arrived  at  Victoria,  round  Cape 
Horn,  in  the  bark  Tory,  Captain  Duncan. 
He  was,  within  a  couple  of  months  afterwards, 
sent  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  to  San 
Juan  Island,  to  establish  a  salmon  fishery 
there.  Indians  were  the  principal  fishermen. 
During  his  stay  on  the  island,  a  schooner 
belonging  to  the  United  States,  Captain 
Balch,  master,  arrived  and  anchored  in  the 
harbor.  Mr.  Macdonald  boarded  the  vessel 

SENATOR    MACDONALD. 

and  informed  the  captain  that  he   was  not 

permitted  to  trade  on  the  island  or  fish  in  the  adjacent  waters.     He 
made  no  demur,  but  departed  the  same  afternoon. 

COLLECTORS  SANKSTER  AND  EHEY.— When  Oregon  was  divided  in 
1853,  the  7iorthern  portion  became  the  State  of  Washington,  but  in 
1852,  the  Oregon  legislature  had  organized  Whidbey  Island  and  the 
Haro  Archipelago  into  a  district  called  Island  County.  A  collector 
of  customs,  I.  N.  Ebey,  for  the  Puget  Sound  district,  in  1854,  took  it 
upon  himself  to  visit  the  Island  of  San  Juan  to  collect  customs  dues 
there  for  the  United  States.  He  found  on  the  island  CHARLES  JOHN 
GRIFFIN,  a  clerk  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  who  refused  to 
acknowledge  Collector  Ebey's  authority,  stating  that  the  island 
belonged  to  the  colony  of  Vancouver  Island,  and  that  he  himself  was 
a  colonial  justice  of  the  peace.  Mr.  Griffin  at  once  reported  the 
case  to  Governor  Douglas,  who  in  company  with  Mr.  Sankster, 
collector  at  the  port  of  Victoria,  proceeded  on  the  Company's  steamer 
Otter  to  San  Juan.  Sankster  landed  and  met  Ebey,  informing  him 
that  he  should  seize  all  vessels  and  arrest  all  persons  found  navigating 


246  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

the  waters  west  of  Rosario  Strait  and  north   of  the   middle  of  the 
Strait  of  Fuca. 

THE  Two  NATIONAL  FLAGS  UNFURLED. — After  a  warm  discussion, 
Ebey  concluded  that  he  would  appoint  a  deputy  collector  on  the 
island  and  leave  him  there,  and  it  would  be  seen  who  would  interfere 
with  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Sankster  invited  Ebey  to 
go  on  board  the  Otter  and  confer  with  Governor  Douglas  on  the 
subject.  The  invitation  was  declined.  The  British  flag  was  then 
brought  by  Sankster  on  shore,  and  hoisted  on  the  quarters  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company.  Collector  Ebey  unfurled  the  United  States 
revenue  flag,  which  he  had  in  his  boat.  A  boat's  crew  was  landed 
from  the  Otter,  with  whom  Sankster  remained  on  the  island. 
•Governor  Douglas  returned  in  the  Otter  to  Victoria. 

SHEEP  SOLD  FOR  TAXES. — Next  morning  Ebey  swore  in  his  deputy, 
'Henry  Webber,  in  presence  of  Griffin  and  Sankster.  He  then 
returned  to  Puget  Sound,  leaving  Webber  in  charge  as  deputy 
collector,  who  remained  on  San  Juan  Island  about  a  year,  when  fear 
of  the  northern  Indians  caused  him  to  leave.  The  property  on  San 
.Juan  Island  was  duly  assessed  by  an  officer  from  Puget  Sound,  whose 
•  duty  was  to  appraise  the  property  of  u  Island  County."  The 
collections  were  not  enforced  until  March  18th,  1855,  when  Elias 
Barnes,  sheriff"  of  Whatcom,  seized  and  sold  at  auction  thirty  or  more 
of  the  sheep  belonging  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company — the  legislature 
of  Washington  State  having,  in  1854-5,  passed  an  Act  attaching 
San  Juan  and  the  adjacent  islands  to  Whatcom  County.  For  this 
seizure  a  claim  of  about  $15,000  was  subsequently  presented  by  the 
Company.  The  bill  was  made  out  by  Griffin  for  thirty-four  imported 
rams,  seized  and  sold,  estimated  worth  $3,750  :  and  the  balance  for 
losses  sustained  in  consequence  of  the  violent  acts  of  Sheriff  Barnes 
in  driving  the  sheep  into  the  woods,  and  the  cost  of  collecting  such 
as  were  not  altogether  lost. 

THOSE  EXTREME  PROCEEDINGS  called  forth  a  communication  from 
Governor  Stevens,  in  1855,  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  who  issued 
instructions  in  reply  that  all  the  territorial  officers  should  abstain 
from  such  acts,  where  land  was  in  dispute,  as  were  calculated  to 
provoke  conflicts,  and  that  the  colonial  Government  should  observe 
the  same  rule.  There  was  a  deep-rooted  enmity  between  the  Indians 
and  the  representatives  of  the  United  States,  not  only  on  the  island, 
but  on  the  Washington  mainland.  Webber  was  succeeded  by  Oscar 
Olney,  who  only  remained  but  a  few  months.  Paul  K.  Hubbs  next 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  247 

became  deputy  collector,  but  each  of  those  "  Boston  men "  had  to 
.apply  at  different  times  to  Mr.  Griffin,  who  as  British  magistrate 
always  cheerfully  protected  them  in  the  time  of  difficulty.  Collector 
Ebey  was  killed  in  a  scrimmage  with  the  Indians  at  Bellingham  Bay, 
in  1857. 

REPRESENTATIVES  ON  SAN  JUAN. — In  1859,  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  had  on  San  Juan  Island,  besides  the  chief  clerk,  Griffin, 
•eighteen  servants ;  the  squatters  representing  the  United  States 
numbered  twenty-nine.  They,  or  a  majority  of  them,  had  drifted 
thither  from  the  Fraser  mines,  and  were  not,  generally  speaking,  a 
very  desirable  class  of  settlers ;  they,  however,  took  advantage  of  the 
undecided  state  of  affairs  in  San  Juan  to  take  up  their  abode  there. 
Describing  the  heterogeneous  population  in  Victoria  about  the  same 
period,  Commander  Mayne,  in  his  "  Four  Years  in  British  Columbia 
and  Vancouver  Island,"  says  :  "  The  new-found  mineral  wealth  of 
British  Columbia  had  attracted  from  California  some  of  the  most 
reckless  rascals  that  gold  has  ever  given  birth  to.  Strolling  about 
the  canvas  streets  of  Victoria  might  be  seen  men  whose  names  were 
in  the  black  book  of  the  Vigilance  Committee  of  San  Francisco,  and 
whose  necks  would  not,  if  they  had  ventured  them  in  that  city,  been 
worth  an  hour's  purchase." 

DOUBTFUL  CHARACTERS.  —  Some  such  characters  doubtless  were 
numbered  amongst  the  United  States  settlers  on  San  Juan  Island, 
on  whose  account  it  was  said  to  be  necessary  to  land  United  States 
military  for  their  protection.  At  all  events,  the  sheriff  of  Whatcom 
County  continued  regularly  to  make  his  assessments,  until  they 
amounted  to  $935.  The  collection,  however,  was  not  again  enforced ; 
but  the  United  States  inspector  of  customs  was  on  hand  to  keep 
account  of  goods  landed,  vessels  arriving,  etc.  Affairs  culminated 
on  the  arrival  of  Brigadier-General  W.  S.  Harney,  in  command  of 
the  military  department  of  Oregon,  and  his  subordinates,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Silas  Casey,  of  the  9th  Infantry,  and  Captain  George  E. 
Pickett,  of  that  regiment. 

GENERAL  W.  S.  HARNEY. —The  brigadier-general,  "a  bellicose 
patriot,"  had  been  employed  in  what  is  termed  in  the  Western  States, 
^suppressing"  Indians,  and  had  won  great  renown  and  popularity 
among  the  wild  settlers  and  squatters  of  the  west,  towards  whom  lie 
had  long  acted  the  part  of  a  patron  and  protector.  The  wild  guerilla 
war  in  which  he  had  been  engaged,  consisting  chiefly  in  destroying 
bands  of  Indians  whenever  met  with,  says  Viscount  Milton,  had 


248  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

evidently  caused  him  to  forget  the  lessons  in  international  law  which 
he  learnt  at  West  Point,  and  he  appears  to  have  considered  that  a. 
British  colony  might  be  "improved"  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  as 
easily  and  with  as  little  ceremony  as  a  tribe  of  Indians  could  be 


L.  A.  CUTLER'S  PIG.  —  A  very  trifling  incident  occurred  on  San- 
Juan  Island,  in  June,  1859,  which,  as  has  already  been  intimated, 
but  for  the  forbearance  of  both  civil  and  military  authorities  at 
Victoria  and  Esquimalt,  would  have  led  to  direful  consequences.  A 
man  named  Lyman  A.  Cutler,  who  claimed  to  be  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  had  squatted  on  the  island,  and  had  partially  enclosed 
a  small  patch  of  land,  on  which  he  had  planted  potatoes.  It  sc* 
happened  that  on  or  about  the  15th  of  June,  he  shot,  in  the  forest 
adjoining  his  house,  a  valuable  hog  belonging  to  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  which  he  alleged  had  trespassed  on  the  unenclosed  ground 
he  had  taken  possession  of.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  it  chanced 
that  Mr.  A.  J.  Dallas,  accompanied  with  Dr.  Tolmie  and  Mr.  Eraser, 
all  leading  men  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  arrived  at  San  Juan 
by  the  Company's  trading  steamer  Beaver. 

On  the  following  day  the  gentlemen  mentioned,  along  with  Griffin,, 
called  on  Cutler,  who  admitted  the  offence,  and  threatened  to  shoot 
any  other  of  the  Company's  stock  which  should 
interfere  with  him.  He  refused  to  pay  the 
sum  demanded  by  Griffin  for  the  valuable- 
animal  which  he  had  killed.  Mr.  Dallas  and 
his  friends  returned  to  Victoria,  and  reported 
the  occurrence  to  Governor  Douglas,  suggest- 
ing that  he  should  communicate  with  the 
governor  of  Washington  Territory  on  the 
subject.  There  is  now  nothing  to  show  that 
Governor  Douglas  made  any  representation  of 
the  affair  to  the  United  States  authorities,, 
but  maintained  friendly  relations  with  them, 
not  excepting  General  Harney,  who,  it  is  said,  paid  a  complimentary 
visit  to  Governor  Douglas  in  the  month  of  July.  The  headquarters 
of  the  military  department  of  Oregon  was  at  Fort  Vancouver,  which 
was  formerly  headquarters  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 

PETITION  TO  HARNEY. — Returning  to  his  command,  General  Har- 
ney, on  the  9th  of  July,  landed  at  San  Juan  Island  without  any 
apparent  object,  as  none  of  the  troops  under  his  command  were- 


A.    .1.    DALLAS. 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  249 

stationed  there.  It  was  an  opportune  occasion  for  Cutler  and  his 
associates  to  pour  into  the  willing  and  sympathetic  ear  of  the  general 
the  tale  of  their  woes  and  persecutions  by  hungry  hogs  and  savage 
Indians.  He  was  told  that  Dallas  had  come  in  an  armed  vessel  to 
take  Cutler  to  Victoria,  when  the  fact  was  that  Mr.  Dallas  and  his 
friends  knew  nothing  of  the  death  of  the  hog  until  after  they  arrived 
on  other  business  at  the  island.  The  result  of  the  general's  visit  to 
San  Juan  was,  that  on  the  llth  of  July  a  petition  was  presented  to 
him  purporting  to  have  been  signed  by  twenty-two  persons,  styling 
themselves  "American  citizens  on  the  Island  of  San  Juan." 

HE  INTERPRETS  THE  TREATY. — As  a  matter  of  course  Cutler's  name 
was  amongst  the  signatures,  and  also  that  of  "  United  States  Inspec- 
tor of  Customs,"  Paul  K.  Hubbs,  Charles  H.  Hubbs,  and  Paul  K. 
Hubbs,  jun.  The  petition  contained  a  clause  which  was  conclusive 
to  the  mind  of  the  general.  It  said:  "According  to  the  treaty 
concluded  June  15th,  1846,  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  (the  provisions  of  which  are  plain,  obvious,  and  pointed  to  us 
all  here),  this,  and  all  the  islands  of  the  Canal  de  Haro  belong  to  us. 
We  therefore  claim  American  protection  in  our  present  exposed  and 
defenceless  position."  This  was  just  what  General  Harney  appeared 
to  want.  He  did  not  communicate  with  the  British  authorities, 
colonial  or  imperial,  or  with  his  commanding  officer,  or  with  the 
supreme  government  at  Washington,  but  proceeded  at  once  to  detach 
a  company  of  troops  from  Fort  Bellingham  to  occupy  the  island, 
under  Captain  Pickett.  The  captain's  instructions  from  the  general 
concluded  by  stating:  "In  your  selection  of  position,  take  into  con- 
sideration that  future  contingencies  may  require  an  establishment  of 
from  four  to  six  companies,  retaining  the  command  of  the  San  Juan 
harbor." 

GENERAL  HARNEY  did  not  communicate  with  General  Scott,  Assist- 
ant Adjutant-General,  New  York,  until  the  19th  of  July,  when  he 
wrote  him  a  letter  containing  the  most  extraordinary  mis-statements, 
and  containing  charges  against  Mr.  Dallas,  without  giving  that  gen- 
tleman an  opportunity  of  denying  them.  He  referred  to  the  petition 
from  the  squatters  on  the  island,  through  Mr.  Hubbs,  desiring  a  force 
to  be  placed  upon  the  island  "to  protect  them  from  the  Indians,  as 
well  as  the  oppressive  interference  of  the  authorities  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  at  Victoria  with  their  rights  as  American  citizens." 
"  Mr.  Hubbs  informed  me,"  continued  the  general,  "  that  a  short  time 
before  my  arrival,  the  chief  factor  at  Victoria,  Mr.  Dallas,  son-in-law 


250  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

of  Governor  Douglas,  came  to  the  island  in  the  British  sloop  of  war 
Satellite,  and  threatened  to  take  one  of  the  Americans  by  force  to 
Victoria  for  shooting  a  pig  of  the  Company's.  The  American  seized 
his  rifle,  and  told  Mr.  Dallas  if  any  such  attempt  was  made  he  would 
kill  him  on  the  spot.  The  affair  ended.  The  American  offered  to 
pay  to  the  Company  twice  the  value  of  the  pig,  which  was  refused. 
To  prevent  a  repetition  of  this  outrage,  I  have  ordered  the  company 
at  Fort  Bellingham  to  be  established  on  San  Juan  Island  for  the 
protection  of  our  citizens,  and  the  steamer  Massachusetts  is  directed 
to  rendezvous  at  that  place  with  a  second  company  to  protect  our 
interests  in  all  parts  of  the  Sound." 

MR.  GRIFFIN'S  LETTER  AND  REPLY. — Captain  Pickett  landed  on 
the  18th  of  July,  but,  strange  to  say,  no  official  account  of  his  having 
landed  appears  in  the  documents  furnished  to  the  Senate.  The  first 
notice  in  American  state  papers  of  the  landing  of  troops  in  San  Juan 
Island  is  to  be  found  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Captain  Pickett  by  Mr. 
Griffin,  dated  July  30th,  which  says :  "  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to 
inform  you  that  the  Island  of  San  Juan,  on  which  your  camp  is 
pitched,  is  the  property  and  in  the  occupation  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
•Company,  and  to  request  that  you  and  the  whole  of  the  party  who 
have  landed  from  the  American  vessels  will  immediately  cease  to 
occupy  the  same.  Should  you  be  unwilling  to  comply  with  my 
request,  I  feel  bound  to  apply  to  the  civil  authorities.  Awaiting 
your  reply,  I  am,  etc."  A  reply  was  sent  as  follows:  "MILITARY 
CAMP,  SAN  JUAN,  W.T.,  July  31,  1859.  SIR, — Your  communication 
of  this  instant  has  been  received.  I  have  to  state  in  reply  that  I  do 
not  acknowledge  the  right  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  to  dictate 
my  course  of  action.  I  am  here  by  virtue  of  an  order  from  my 
Government,  and  shall  remain  until  recalled  by  the  same  authority. 
I  am,  etc." 


THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD.  251 


CHAPTER  VI. 


A  COLLISION  PREVENTED  BY  GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS. 

VISCOUNT  MILTON,  writing  on  this  subject,  says:  "The  governor 
at  Victoria  received  information  of  the  hostile  occupation  of  the 
island  from  Mr.  Griffin,  and  the  excitement  on  the  receipt  of  the 
intelligence  was  great.  It  is  due  entirely  to  the  temper  and  judg- 
ment of  Governor  Douglas  that  a  collision  did  not  at  once  ensue. 
He  immediately  placed  himself  in  communication  with  Captain 
Prevost,  the  British  commissioner,  and,  at  his  request,  the  latter 
went  to  San  Juan  in  the  hope  of  finding  Mr.  Campbell,  the  United 
States  commissioner.  On  landing,  he  had  an  interview  with  Captain 
Pickett,  who  declared  he  was  merely  acting  under  orders,  that  he 
would  prevent  any  inferior  force  landing,  would  fight  any  equal  force, 
and  would  protest  against  any  superior  force  being  landed.  He 
stated  that  he  did  not  know  whether  the  orders  under  which  he  acted 
came  originally  from  Washington,  but  took  it  for  granted  they  did, 
or  General  Harney  would  not  have  taken  so  decisive  a  step." 

INTERVIEW  WITH  CAPTAIN  PICKETT. — Captain  Prevost  then  left, 
and  reported  to  the  governor,  who,  after  consultation  with  Admiral 
Baynes,  concluded  that  the  case  required  further  consideration  before 
consenting  to  land  an  equal  force  upon  San  Juan  or  establishing 
a  joint  occupation  on  the  island.  He,  however,  directed  Captain 
Hornby,  commanding  her  Majesty's  ship  Tribune,  to  communicate 
with  the  officer  in  command  of  the  detachment  of  the  United  States 
troops  which  had  landed  011  the  island,  to  inquire  of  him  the  number 
of  troops  under  his  command,  with  a  view  to  landing  an  equal  force 
of  British  troops,  if  deemed  expedient.  Captain  Hornby,  therefore, 
on  the  3rd  of  August,  having  arrived  at  the  island,  proposed  by. 
letter  that  a  meeting  should  take  place  between  Captain  Pickett  and 
himself  on  board  the  Tribune.  Captain  Pickett  replied  that  he 
would  most  cheerfully  meet  him  in  his  camp.  Captain  Hornby 
accordingly  landed,  with  Captains  Prevost  and  Richards,  the  British 


252  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

commissioners.  An  interview  took  place  between  them  at  consider- 
able length. 

REDUCED  TO  WRITING. — The  substance  of  the  conversation  during 
the  interview  was  reduced  to  writing  by  Captain  Hornby,  and 
replied  to  next  day  by  Captain  Pickett,  who  inter  alia  remarked  r 
"  Your  recollection  of  said  conversation  seems  to  be  very  accurate. 
There  is  one  point,  however,  which  I  wish  to  dwell  upon  particularly, 
and  which  I  must  endeavor,  as  the  officer  representing  my  Govern- 
ment, to  impress  upon  you,  viz.,  that  as  a  matter  of  course,  I  being 
here  under  orders  from  my  Government,  cannot  allow  any  joint 
occupation  until  so  ordered  by  my  commanding  officer,  and  that  any 
attempt  to  make  such  occupation  as  you  have  proposed,  before  I  can 
communicate  with  General  Harney,  will  be  bringing  on  a  collision 
which  can  be  avoided  by  waiting  this  issue." 

CAPTAIN  PICKETT'S  LETTER.  —  On  the  same  date,  August  3rd,, 
Captain  Pickett  wrote  to  Captain  Pleasonton,  Adjutant-General, 
Mounted  Dragoons,  Fort  Vancouver  :  "  CAPTAIN, — The  British  ships, 
the  Tribune,  the  Plumper,  and  the  Satellite,  are  lying  here  in  a 
menacing  attitude.  I  have  been  warned  off  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company's  agent;  then  a  summons  was  sent  me  to  appear  before  a 
Mr.  DeCourcey,  an  official  of  her  Britannic  Majesty.  ...  I  had 
to  deal  with  three  captains,  and  I  thought  it  better  to  take  the  brunt 
of  it.  They  have  a  force  so  far  superior  to  mine  that  it  will  be 
merely  a  mouthful  for  them  ;  still,  I  have  informed  them  that  I  am 
here  by  order  of  my  commanding  general,  and  will  maintain  mjr 
position,  if  possible. 

"  They  wish  to  have  co-joint  occupation  of  the  island  ;  1  decline 
anything  of  that  kind.  They  can,  if  they  choose,  land  at  almost 
any  point  of  the  island,  and  I  cannot  prevent  them.  I  have  used 
the  utmost  courtesy  and  delicacy  in  my  intercourse,  and,  if  it  is- 
possible,  please  inform  me  at  such  an  early  hour  as  to  prevent  a 
collision.  The  utmost  I  could  expect  to-day  was  to  suspend  any 
proceeding  till  they  have  had  time  to  digest  a  pill  which  I  gave  them. 
They  wish  to  throw  the  onus  on  me,  because  I  refused  to  allow  them 
to  land  an  equal  force,  and  each  of  us  to  have  a  military  occupation, 
thereby  wiping  out  civil  authorities.  I  have  endeavored  to  impress 
them  with  the  idea  that  my  authority  comes  directly  through  you 
from  Washington.  .  .  . 

THE  CAPTAIN  AS  A  PEACE-MAKER! — " The  excitement  in  Victoria 
and  here  is  tremendous.  I  suppose  some  five  hundred  people  have- 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  253 

visited  us.  I  have  had  to  use  a  great  deal  of  my  peace-making 
•disposition  in  order  to  restrain  some  of  the  sovereigns.  ...  I 
must  add  that  they  seem  to  doubt  the  authority  of  the  general 
commanding,  and  do  not  wish  to  acknowledge  his  right  to  occupy 
the  island,  which  they  say  is  in  dispute,  unless  the  United  States 
Government  have  decided  the  question  with  Great  Britain.  I  have 
so  far  staved  them  off  by  saying  that  the  two  governments  have, 
without  doubt,  settled  this  affair.  ...  In  order  to  maintain 
our  dignity  we  must  occupy  in  force,  or  allow  them  to  land  an 
«qual  force,  which  they  can  do  now,  and  possibly  will  do  in  spite 
of  my  diplomacy." 

ADDITIONAL  LETTERS. — THE  ADJUTANT-GENERAL  of  Mounted 
Dragoons  wrote  in  reply,  by  order  of  General  Harney,  approving  of 
Captain  Pickett's  action,  and  enclosed  a  letter  from  General  Harney 
(August  6th)  to  Governor  Douglas,  to  which  the  governor  replied  on 
the  13th  of  August,  thanking  him  for  the  manner  in  which  he 
communicated  the  reasons  for  occupying  the  Island  of  San  Juan  with 
a  portion  of  the  military  forces  of  the  United  States  under  his 
command.  He  proceeded  : 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  that  you  have  done  so  under  general  instructions 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States,  as  military  commander  of 
the  Department  of  Oregon,  and  not  by  direct  authority  from  the 
Cabinet  at  Washington.  You  state  that  the  reasons  which  induced 
you  to  take  that  course,  are  the  '  insults  and  indignities  which  the 
British  authorities  of  Vancouver  Island,  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  have  recently  offered  to  American  citizens 
residing  on  the  Island  of  San  Juan,  by  sending  a  British  ship  of  war 
from  Vancouver  Island  to  convey  the  chief  factor  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  to  San  Juan  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  an  American  citizen, 
and  transporting  him  to  Vancouver  Island  to  be  tried  by  British 
laws.' 

"  I  will  explain,  for  your  information,  that  the  agents  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  hold  no  official  position  in  Vancouver  Island, 
nor  exercise  any  official  power  or  authority,  and  are  as  entirely 
distinct  from  the  officers  of  the  executive  government  as  are  any 
other  inhabitants  of  Vancouver  Island.  To  the  reported  outrage  on 
an  American  citizen,  I  beg  to  give  the  most  unhesitating  and 
unqualified  denial.  None  of  her  Majesty's  ships  have  ever  been  sent 
to  convey  the  chief  factor  or  any  officer  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
to  San  Juan,  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  an  American  citizen,  nor  has 
any  attempt  ever  been  made  to  seize  an  American  citizen  and  to, 
transport  him  forcibly  to  Vancouver  Island  for  trial,  as  represented 
by  you. 

"  Up  to  a  very  recent  period  but  one  American  citizen  has  been 


254  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

resident  on  San  Juan.  About  the  commencement  of  the  present  year 
a  few  American  citizens  began  to  '  squat '  upon  the  island,  and  upon 
one  occasion  a  complaint  was  made  to  me  by  a  British  subject  of 
some  wrong  committed  against  his  property  by  an  American  citizen  : 
but  no  attention  was  paid  to  that  complaint,  out  of  consideration  and 
respect  to  the  friendly  Government  to  which  the  alleged  offender 
belonged,  and  whose  citizens,  I  think  it  cannot  be  denied,  have 
always  been  treated  with  marked  attention  by  all  the  British 
authorities  in  those  parts.  With  reference  to  San  Juan  in  particular, 
I  have  always  acted  with  the  utmost  caution,  to  prevent,  so  far  as 
might  lie  in  my  power,  any  ill-feeling  arising  from  collisions  between 
British  subjects  and  American  citizens,  and  have,  in  that  respect, 
cordially  endeavored  to  carry  out  the  views  of  the  United  States 
Government,  as  expressed  in  a  despatch  from  Mr.  Marcy,  dated  17th 
July,  1855,  to  her  Majesty's  minister  at  Washington,  a  copy  of  which 
I  herewith  enclose  for  your  information,  as  I  presume  that  the 
document  cannot  be  in  your  possession. 

"  Following  the  dignified  policy  recommended  by  that  despatch,  I 
should,  in  any  well-grounded  case  of  complaint  against  an  American 
citizen,  -have  referred  the  matter  to  the  federal  authorities  in 
Washington  Territory,  well  assured  that  if  wrong  had  been  committed, 
reparation  would  have  followed. 

"I  deeply  regret  that  you  did  not  communicate  with  me  for 
information  upon  the  subject  of  the  alleged  grievance  ;  you  would 
then  have  learned  how  unfounded  was  the  complaint,  and  the  grave 
action  you  have  adopted  might  have  been  avoided.  I  also  deeply 
regret  that  you  did  not  mention  the  matter  verbally  to  me,  when  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  Victoria  last  month,  for  a  few 
words  from  me  would,  I  am  sure,  have  removed  from  your  mind  any 
erroneous  impressions,  and  you  would  have  ascertained  personally 
from  me  how  anxious  I  have  ever  been  to  co-operate  to  the  utmost 
of  my  power  with  the  officers  of  the  United  States  Government,  in 
any  measures  which  might  be  mutually  beneficial  to  the  citizens  of 
the  two  countries. 

"Having  given  you  a  distinct  and  emphatic  denial  of  the  circum- 
stances which  you  allege  induced  you  to  occupy  the  Island  of 
San  Juan  with  United  States  troops  ;  having  shown  you  that  the 
reasons  you  assign  do  not  exist,  and  having  endeavored  to  assure  you 
of  my  readiness  on  all  occasions  to  act  for  the  protection  of  American 
citizens,  and  for  the  promotion  of  their  welfare,  I  must  call  upon  you, 
sir,  if  not  as  a  matter  of  justice  and  humanity,  to  withdraw  the 
troops  now  quartered  upon  the  Island  of  San  Juan,  for  those  troops 
are  not  required  for  the  protection  of  American  citizens  against 
British  authorities  ;  and  the  continuation  of  those  troops  upon  an 
island,  the  sovereignty  of  which  is  in  dispute,  not  only  is  a  marked 
discourtesy  to  a  friendly  Government,  but  complicates  to  an  undue 
degree  the  settlement  in  an  amicable  manner  of  the  question  of 
sovereignty,  and  is  also  calculated  to  provoke  a  collision  between  the 
military  forces  of  two  friendly  nations  in  a  distant  part  of  the  world.''" 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  255 

To  the  foregoing  manly  and  able  communication,  General  Harney 
replied  in  an  evasive  and  shuffling  manner.  In  a  letter  to  Colonel 
S.  Cooper,  Adjutant-General,  Washington  City,  D.C.,  August  8th, 
he  stated  : 

"That  the  Island  of  San  Juan  has  for  months  past  been  under  the 
civil  jurisdiction  of  Whatcom  County,  Washington  Territory.  A 
justice  of  the  peace  had  been  established  on  the  island,  the  people  had 
been  taxed  by  the  Company,  and  the  taxes  were  paid  by  the  foreigners 
as  well  as  Americans.  An  inspector  of  customs,  a  United  States 
officer  of  the  Treasury  Department,  had  been  placed  upon  the  island, 
in  the  discharge  of  his  proper  duties.  The  British  authorities  at 
Vancouver  Island  were  aware  of  all  these  facts,  and  never  attempted 
to  exercise  any  authority  on  the  island,  except  clandestinely,  as 
reported  yesterday,  in  the  case  of  the  pig  which  was  killed." 

And  continuing,  says  : 

"  When  Governor  Douglas  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Captain  Pickett's 
command  at  San  Juan,  he  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  other 
civil  authorities  at  Victoria,  and  sent  them  over  in  the  British  ship 
of  war  Plumper,  to  execute  British  laws  on  the  island.  Captain 
Pickett  refused  to  permit  them  to  act  as  such,  and  I  have  now  fully 
and  fairly  explained  all  the  facts  which  have  any  bearing  upon  the 
occupation  of  San  Juan  Island,  which  was  made  an  imperious  necessity 
by  the  wanton  and  insulting  conduct  of  the  British  authorities  of 
Vancouver  Island  towards  our  citizens." 

A  DOUBLE  GAME. — Such  a  letter  does  not  reflect  creditably  on 
General  Harney,  who,  in  connection  with  it,  ordered  Lieut. -Colonel 
Casey,  of  the  9th  Infantry,  to  reinforce  the  troops  already  on  the 
island,  and  seemed  to  be  playing  a  double  game.  Lieut.-Colonel 
Casey  left  Fort  Steilacoom  on  the  steamer  Julia,  on  the  9th  August, 
and  landed  on  the  island  on  the  10th.  He  reports  on  the  12th,  and 
describes  his  landing  in  a  dense  fog.  He  says  : 

"  After  hugging  the  shore  for  a  few  miles  I  was  informed  by  the 
captain  that  we  were  but  a  short  distance  from  Captain  Pickett's 
camp,  that  it  was  difficult  to  get  along  on  account  of  the  fog,  and 
that,  moreover,  the  tide  was  so  low  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get 
up  to  the  wharf  at  the  landing  for  several  hours.  Finding  ourselves 
in  a  smooth  place  near  the  land,  with  the  coast  so  depressed  at  the 
point  as  to  make  the  ascent  from  the  shore  easy,  I  landed  the  troops 
and  howitzers,  with  orders  to  the  senior  officer  to  move  them  to 
Captain  Pickett's  camp.  I  proceeded  on  the  steamer  around  to  the 
wharf,  taking  with  me  my  adjutant  and  a  small  guard  for  the 
howitzer,  ammunition  and  other  public  property." 


256  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

READY  FOR  A  BROADSIDE.— Lieut. -Colonel  Casey  goes  on  to  report 
how  he  found  the  Tribune  with  her  fires  up  and  guns  pointed  to  the 
landing,  "but  they  did  not  interfere  with  the  landing  of  the  freight;" 
although  it  was  Captain  Pickett's  opinion  that  they  would  have  given 
a  broadside  to  the  troops  if  landed  just  there.  This  may  account  for 
their  being  landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  island  on  account  of  low 
water,  which  appeared  deep  enough  to  bring  the  Julia  around  to  the 
wharf  immediately  after  the  men  were  landed.  No  time  was  lost  by 
Lieut.-Colonel  Casey  in  sending  an  officer  aboard  the  Tribune,  with  a 
request  that  Captain  Hornby  would  call  on  him  at  his  camp  to  hold 
a  conference. 

LIEUT.-COLONEL  CASEY'S  REPORT.  —  Boundary  commissioners,  Mr. 
Campbell,  in  the  Shubrick,  and  Captain  Prevost,  having  arrived  in  the 
Satellite,  went  ashore  along  with  Captain  Hornby  to  call  on  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Casey,  who  continues  in  his  report  pompously  to  say  : 

"  I  informed  Captain  Hornby  that  I  had  landed  that  morning  with 
a  force  of  United  States  troops,  and  explained  to  him  why  I  had  not 
landed  at  the  wharf  under  the  guns  of  the  frigate.  I  also  said  to 
him  that  I  regretted  that  Captain  Pickett  had  been  so  much  harassed 
and  threatened  in  the  position  he  had  occupied.  I  inquired  of  Captain 
Hornby  who  the  officer  highest  in  command  was,  and  where  he  was 
to  be  found.  He  said  it  was  Admiral  Baynes,  and  that  he  was  then 
on  board  the  flagship  Ganges,  in  Esquimalt  harbor.  I  intimated  a 
wish  to  have  a  conference  with  the  admiral,  and  that  I  would  go 
down  to  Esquimalt  harbor  next  day  for  the  purpose  of  the  interview. 
Both  the  captain  and  the  British  commissioner  seemed  pleased. 

"The  next  day,  accompanied  by  Captain  Pickett  (both  of  us  in 
full  uniform)  and  Mr.  Campbell,  I  went  down  to  Esquimalt  on  the 
steamer  Shubrick.  We  anchored  near  the  Ganges.  I  sent  to  the 
admiral,  by  an  officer,  the  note  marked  'A'.  I  received  in  reply  the 
note  marked  'B'.  The  note  marked  'C'  was  taken  on  board  by 
Captain  Pickett,  and  handed  to  the  admiral  in  person.  The  captain 
was  courteously  received  ,  by  the  admiral.  Governor  Douglas  was 
present  in  the  cabin.  After  reading  the  note  the  admiral  handed  it 
to  the  governor.  The  governor  inquired  if  I  knew  he  was  on  board 
the  ship.  The  captain  replied  that  he  had  no  reason  to  suppose  I 
did,  but  that  I  had  not  sought  an  interview  with  him  but  with  the 
admiral.  The  captain  then  informed  the  admiral  that  the  steamer 
was  then  firing  up,  but  that  he  would  be  happy  to  wait,  should  he  then 
desire  to  give  me  the  conference.  It  was  declined,  but  the  admiral 
reiterated  his  desire  that  he  would  be  happy  to  see  me  on  board  the 
ship.  I  was  of  opinion  that  I  had  carried  etiquette  far  enough  in 
going  twenty-five  miles  to  see  a  gentleman  who  was  disinclined  to 
<rome  one  hundred  yards  to  see  me.  .  .  . 

"I  would  advise  that  the  general  send  an  express  to  San  Francisco 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  257 

requesting  the"  naval  captain  in  command  to  send  up  any  ships  of 
war  he  may  have  on  the  coast.  .  .  .  The  British  have  a  sufficient 
naval  force  here  to  effectually  blockade  this  island  when  they  choose. 
.  .  .  I  request  that  five  full  companies  of  regular  troops,  with  an 
officer  of  engineers  and  a  detachment  of  sappers,  be  sent  here  as  soon 
as  possible." 

On  the  14th,  Casey  further  reported  that  the  Massachusetts  had 
landed  her  guns  and  ammunition,  and  that  he  had  directed  all  the 
supplies  to  be  brought  from  that  port  to  Camp  Pickett,  and  that  the 
32-pounders  should  be  placed  in  position  as  soon  as  possible ;  from 
all  which  it  would  appear  that  Lieut.-Colonel  Silas  Casey  was  very 
anxious  to  bring  on  a  war,  and  was  preparing  to  sustain  a  siege. 

PREPARING  FOR  WAR. — A  reply  was  sent  by  Adjutant-General 
Pleasonton  from  Fort  Vancouver,  on  the  16th,  to  Casey,  approving 
of  his  action  and  stating  that  a  detachment  of  engineers  would  be 
sent ;  in  the  meantime  to  have  platforms  made  for  the  heavy  guns, 
and  cover  "your  camp  as  much  as  possible  by  entrenchment,  placing 
your  heavy  guns  in  battery  on  the  most  exposed  approaches;  the 
howitzers  to  be  used  to  the  best  advantage  with  the  troops,  or  in  the 
camp,  according  to  circumstances.  Select  your  position  with  the 
greatest  care  to  avoid  the  fire  from  British  ships.  In  such  a  position 
your  command  should  be  able  to  defend  itself  against  any  force  the 
British  may  land.  The  general  has  requested  a  naval  force  from  the 
senior  officer  on  the  coast,  and  has  notified  General  Clarke,  as  well 
as  the  authorities  at  Washington,  of  the  existing  state  of  affairs  on 
the  Sound.  Troops  and  supplies  will  be  sent  you  as  fast  as  they  can 
be  collected.  The  general  regrets,  under  all  circumstances,  your 
visit  to  Esquimalt  harbor  to  see  the  British  admiral,  but  is  satisfied 
of  your  generous  intentions  towards  them.  He  instructs  you  for  the 
future  to  refer  all  official  communication  desired  by  the  British 
authorities  to  these  headquarters,  informing  them  at  the  same  time 
that  such  are  your  orders." 

"SPOILING  FOR  A  FIGHT." — On  the  18th  of  August,  General  Harney 
sent  a  despatch  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  army, 
General  Winfield  Scott,  at  Washington,  D.C.,  in  which  he  represents 
proceedings  at  San  Juan  Island  from  his  point  of  view,  and  sends  a 
list  of  the  British  fleet  at  Esquimalt  as  consisting  of  5  vessels  of  war, 
with  167  guns,  2,140  men,  some  600  of  which  are  marines  and 
engineer  troops,  and  that  this  force  had  been  using  every  means  in 
its  power,  except  opening  fire,  to  intimidate  one  company  of  infantry, 

17 


258  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

but  sixty  strong.  On  the  14th  of  August,  he  reports,  Colonel  Casey 
had  five  companies  with  him  on  the  island,  and  by  the  time  he  was 
writing  four  companies  more  would  have  arrived  as  reinforcements. 
General  Harney,  on  the  24th  of  August,  sent  another  despatch  to 
Adjutant-General  Colonel  S.  Cooper,  at  Washington,  D.C.,  in  which 
he  commented  on  the  letter  of  Governor  Douglas  of  the  13th. 
repeating  former  mis-statements  respecting  Cutler  and  the  slaughter 
of  the  pig,  and  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Dallas  in  a  war  ship,  etc.  Again, 
on  the  29th,  he  wrote  to  Colonel  Cooper,  recapitulating  much  of  what 
he  had  said  already,  bringing  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  the 
northern  Indians,  comparing  them  to  the  East  India  Company,, 
which,  he  said,  had  crushed  out  the  liberties  and  existence  of  so 
many  nations  in  Asia,  and  committed  barbarities  and  atrocities  for 
which  the  annals  of  crime  have  no  parallel.  He  characterized  the 
statements  or  denial  of  Governor  Douglas  as  "only  a  quibble." 

Another  despatch  is  forwarded  by  General  Harney  to  the  same 
officer  on  the  30th,  in  which  he  states  the  troops  and  artillery  on  the 
Island  of  San  Juan  numbered  461  men,  with  eight  32-pounders,  with 
Colonel  Casey  in  command,  and  that  "  from  the  conformation  of  the 
island  and  the  position  occupied  by  the  troops,  the  English  could  not 
remain  in  the  harbor  under  a  fire  from  the  32-pounders,  but  would 
be  compelled  to  take  distance  in  the  Sound,  from  whence  they  could 
only  annoy  us  by  shells,  which  would  be  trifling.  The  English  have 
no  force  that  they  could  land  which  would  be  able  to  dislodge  Colonel 
Casey's  command  as  now  posted." 

HARNEY  SUPERSEDED.  —  LORD  LYONS,  her  Majesty's  minister  at 
Washington,  had  not  heard  of  the  proceedings  at  San  Juan  until  the 
3rd  of  September,  when  he  at  once  had  a  conference  with  Mr.  Cass. 
On  the  7th,  the  conversation  which  took  place  there  was  reduced  to 
writing  and  sent  to  Mr.  Cass.  The  subject  was  brought  before  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  who  expressed  the  greatest  regret 
and  surprise  at  the  unauthorized  and  unjustifiable  action  of  General 
Harney.  Instructions  were  issued  to  General  Winfield  Scott  to- 
proceed  to  Washington  Territory  to  take  command  of  the  United 
States  forces  in  that  district,  which  superseded  General  Harney.  A 
despatch  was  sent  by  Mr.  Cass  to  Mr.  Gholson,  governor  of  Wash- 
ington Territory,  desiring  his  co-operation. 

GENERAL  SCOTT'S  INSTRUCTIONS  were  dated  1 6th  of  September,  1859. 
He  arrived  at  Fort  Vancouver  on  the  20th  of  October,  and  next  day 
had  an  interview  with  General  Harney.  On  the  22nd  he  left  for 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  259 

Port  Townsend,  and  on  the  25th  October  wrote  to  Governor  Douglas, 
in  which  he  submitted  a  proposition  that  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  should  each  occupy  a  separate  portion  of  San  Juan 
Island,  and  that  the  number  should  not  exceed  one  hundred  men.  To 
this  Governor  Douglas  replied  that  he  could  not  agree  on  the  part  of 
Great  Britain  to  land  troops  on  San  Juan,  without  authority  from 
the  Government  of  her  Britannic  Majesty.  On  the  2nd  of  November, 
General  Scott  again  wrote  to  Governor  Douglas,  enclosing  a  memor- 
andum of  a  "  Project  of  a  Temporary  Settlement,"  which  was  in  effect 
the  former  proposal  of  each  nation  to  occupy  the  island  until  the 
two  governments  should  have  time  to  settle  the  question  of  title 
diplomatically. 

GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS  REPLIED  on  the  3rd  of  November  to  the  same 
effect  as  in  his  former  letter.  On  the  5th,  General  Scott  informed 
Governor  Douglas  that  the  United  States  troops  on  San  Juan  would; 
be  reduced  to  Captain  Pickett's  company  of  infantry,  which  had 
been  sent  there  in  July  last.  General  Scott  further  ordered  that 
Captain  Hunt  and  his  company  and  Assistant-Surgeon  Craig  should 
remain  on  the  island  until  further  orders  ;  and  that  Lieut. -Colonel 
Casey  will  cause  the  heavy  guns  to  be  replaced  on  board  the  propeller 
Massachusetts,  to  be  returned  to  their  former  stations.  Copies  of  the 
orders  were  sent  to  Governor  Douglas,  who  expressed  satisfaction  at 
the  change  which  had  been  made  by  General  Scott,  and  informed 
him  he  would  represent  the  case  to  her  Majesty's  Government. 

RECALLED  TO  REPORT  AT  WASHINGTON. — General  Harney  retained 
his  command  under  the  supervision  of  General  Scott  for  some  time. 
Indeed  it  was  not  until  June  8th,  1860,  that  he  received  the  following 
notice  from  the  War  Department :  "  Brigadier-General  William  S. 
Harney  will,  on  receipt  hereof,  turn  over  the  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Oregon  to  the  officer  next  in  rank  in  that  Department,  and 
repair  without  delay  to  Washington  City,  and  report  in  person  to  the 
Secretary  of  War."  Before  his  recall  he  had  interfered  with  Captain 
Hunt,  who  was  withdrawn  from  the  island,  but  afterwards  restored 
with  his  company  there. 

LORD  LYONS  TO  MR.  CASS. — Captain  Pickett,  by  Harney 's  orders, 
was  sent  to  relieve  Captain  Hunt  on  the  30th  of  April,  1860.  As 
soon  as  that  intelligence  reached  Washington,  Lord  Lyons  wrote  to 
Mr.  Cass,  Secretary  of  State,  calling  his  attention  to  the  change 
which  had  been  made.  *  General  Scott  sent  the  following  reason  why 
he  had  substituted  Hunt  for  Pickett,  viz.:  "Pickett,  on  landing  on 


260  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

the  island,  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the  island  belonged  to  the 
United  States,  and  other  points  offensive  to  the  British  authorities, 
and  as  my  mission  was  one  of  peace,  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  substitute 
Hunt  for  Pickett.  .  .  .  Hunt  (as  our  officers  informed  me)  was 
remarkable  for  firmness,  discretion  and  courtesy.  It  will  be  seen  by 
Brigadier-General  Harney's  instructions  to  Pickett,  of  the  last  month, 
that  Harney  considers  San  Juan  Island  as  a  part  of  Washington 
Territory,  and  Pickett  is  directed  to  acknowledge  and  respect  the 
authority  of  that  Territory.  If  this  does  not  lead  to  a  collision  of 
arms,  it  will  again  be  due  to  the  forbearance  of  the  British  authorities, 
ior  I  found  both  Brigadier-General  Harney  and  Captain  Pickett 
proud  of  their  conquest  of  the  island,  and  quite  jealous  of  any 
/interference  therewith  on  the  part  of  higher  authority."  Mr.  Cass  in 
<his  reply  to  Lord  Lyons  said  :  "  The  orders  of  General  Harney,  to 
which  your  Lordship  called  attention,  have  been  read  by  the  President, 
both  with  surprise  and  regret.  .  .  .  He  has  been  recalled  from  his 
command." 

JOINT  MILITARY  OCCUPATION.  —  Rear- Admiral  Robert  Lambert 
Baynes  and  Governor  Douglas  finally  agreed  to  a  joint  military 
occupation  of  the  island  ;  and  on  20th  of  March,  1860,  a  detachment 
of  Royal  Marines,  under  Captain  George  Bazalgette,  was  disembarked 
•  on  San  Juan.  In  point  of  number  they  were  equal  to  the  company 
of  the  United  States  troops  under  the  command  of  Captain  Hunt. 
'They  carried  their  ordinary  arms  only.  The  orders  issued  to  Captain 
Bazalgette  were  that  the  object  of  placing  them  was  for  the  protection 
-of  British  interests,  and  to  form  a  joint  military  occupation  with  the 
troops  of  the  United  States.  Captain  Bazalgette  was  to  place  himself 
in  frank  and  free  communication  with  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
United  States  troops,  that  the  most  perfect  and  cordial  understanding 
should  exist  between  them,  which  the  rear-admiral  felt  assured  he 
would  at  all  times  find  Captain  Hunt  ready  and  anxious  to  maintain. 

OTHER  QUESTIONS  OF  IMPORTANCE  to  both  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  served,  from  time  to  time,  to  divert  their  attention  from 
the  settlement  of  the  San  Juan  Island  question.  The  49th  parallel  * 
Boundary  Commission  closed  in  May,  1862.  Correspondence  of  great 
length  continued  respecting  the  island  boundary  between  the  Govern- 
ments of  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  during  1860  ;  but  when 
the  civil  war  broke  out  in  the  United  States,  in  April,  1861,  the 
parties  of  the  North  and  South  stood  committed  to  face  a  great  war* 
before  which  all  other  controversies  had  to  give  way.  Great  Britain 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD.  261 

did  not  press  the  question  of  the  boundary  on  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  in  that  hour  of  difficulty,  so  it  remained  in  abeyance 
until  1868. 

WHISKEY  SELLERS  CAUSE  TROUBLE. — The  island  continued  in  the 
joint  occupation  of  the  two  governments.  Captain  Hunt  filled  his 
position  faithfully,  but  fell  in  the  good  graces  of  the  "  United  States 
subjects,"  who  accused  him  of  insulting  the  whole  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  island,  and  that  his  conduct  was  gross  and  ungentlemanly. 
They  got  up  a  petition  to  General  Harney  to  have  Hunt  removed.  It 
turned  out  that  the  trouble  was  with  a  few  illicit  liquor  dealers,  who 
lived  by  dealing  poison  to  the  soldiers,  and  who  had  no  other  stake 
on  the  island  than  that  arising  from  their  ill-gotten  gains.  The 
whiskey  sellers  (three  of  whose  names  were  on  the  petition)  were 
banished  from  the  island.  Captain  Gray,  some  time  afterwards,, 
succeeded  Captain  Hunt.  He  got  into  trouble  with  Jared  C.  Brown, 
deputy  marshal  ot  Port  Townsend,  who  complained  to  Secretary  o£ 
State  Seward  that  Captain  Gray  refused  to  be  arrested.  The  deputy 
marshal  was  met  by  Gray's  men,  who  supported  their  captain  in  the 
charge  against  him,  which  was  that  he  had  ejected  from  the  island  a 
troublesome  squatter  who  had  built  a  fence  between  the  military  post, 
and  the  landing.  The  process  was  returned  "unserved." 

SUNDRY  IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS  TO  BE  DEALT  WITH. — The  Alabama 
claims,  the  naturalization  question,  the  fishery  question  and  the 
reciprocity  treaty  with  Canada,  each  came  up  in  the  interim.  In 
February,  1868,  Mr.  Seward,  in  compliance  with  a  resolution  of  the 
United  States  senate  of  18th  December,  1867,  presented  a  report, 
together  with  a  number  of  papers  known  as  "American  State 
Papers,"  in  which  reference  was  made  to  the  Island  of  San  Juan.  A 
protocol  was  signed  at  London  on  the  17th  of  October,  1868,  by  Lord 
Stanley  and  Reverdy  Johnson,  agreeing  to  refer  the  location  of  the 
boundary  line  to  some  friendly  sovereign  according  to  the  treaty  of 
1846.  The  President  of  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Swiss  Republic- 
was  named  as  arbitrator.  Lord  Clarendon  having  succeeded  Lord 
*  Stanley  at  the  foreign  office,  another  convention  was  held,  embodying 
certain  amendments,  but  nominating  the  former  arbitrator.  A  new 
treaty  was  signed  by  Clarendon  and  Reverdy  Johnson,  January  14th, 
1869.  When  it  was  brought  before  the  senate  in  April  for  ratifica- 
tion, it  was  decided  by  that  body  to  defer  further  consideration  until 
the  next  session,  to  open  in  December,  1869.  The  proviso  of  the 
United  States  constitution  which  requires  the  assent  of  the  senate  to- 


262  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

the  ratification  of  a  treaty  by  the  president,  may  be  used  to  place  the 
negotiating  party  in  an  awkward  and  humiliating  position. 

EMPEROR  WILLIAM'S  DECISION. — Further  delays  kept  the  question 
in  abeyance  until  1871,  when  commissioners  were  sent  to  Washington 
to  hold  another  convention,  at  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  San  Juan 
Island  boundary  question  should  be  submitted  to  the  arbitration  and 
award  of  Emperor  William  of  Germany.  The  German  emperor 
accepted  the  office  of  arbitrator.  The  case  was  laid  before  him  with 
maps  and  documents,  by  the  United  States  minister  in  Germany,  Geo. 
Bancroft,  and  by  the  British  charge  d'affaires,  Mr.  Petre,  who  had  the 
responsibility  of  presenting  the  arguments  on  both  sides.  Captain 
(afterwards  Admiral)  Prevost,  the  British  boundary  commissioner  of 
1859,  was  also  present  in  Berlin,  to  advocate  his  views.  The  award, 
was  not  made  until  October  21st,  1872,  when,  incomprehensible  as  it 
may  appear,  in  view  of  the  whole  facts,  it  was  given  in  favor  of  the 
United  States.  The  people  of  British  Columbia,  though  grievously 
disappointed,  accepted  the  decision  magnanimously.  Had  the 
Emperor's  decision  been  the  middle  channel,  as  was  proposed,  it  would 
have  been  a  convenience  to  have  kept  possession  of  San  Juan,  and 
prevented  the  island  from  being  used  as  a  smuggling  rendezvous ;  yet 
the  colony  did  not  notice  the  difference,  and  continued  to  prosper 
without  it.  In  a  few  weeks  after  the  award  was  made  known,  the 
British  troops  were  withdrawn  from  the  island.  The  best  of  good 
feeling  existed  between  both  officers  and  men  of  both  nations  during 
their  joint  occupation  of  the  island. 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD.  263 


CHAPTEK  VII. 


RAPID  SPREAD  OF  MINING  NEWS. 

GOLD  DISCOVERIES.  —  The  summer  of  1858  was  an  active  and 
anxious  time  for  Governor  Douglas.  Along  with  the  ordinary 
business  of  the  colony  and  the  Company,  came  the  San  Juan 
boundary  difficulty  arid  the  gold  excitement,  which  latter,  of  itself, 
as  it  developed,  must  have  required  an  extraordinary  amount  of 
care  and  attention.  The  solicitude  /of  the  home  Government,  as 
manifested  in  the  admirable  despatches  from  Lord  Lytton,  to  have 
the  new  colony  based  on  just^a»d.  liberal  principles  and  in  conson- 
ance with  British  law  jjjftcTireedom  is  evident,  and  required  a  man 
of  the  ability  of  Douglas  to  carry  them  into  effect  so  ably  and 
harmoniously. 

THOMPSON  AND  FRASEB  RIVERS. — In  1857,  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany- had  received,  from  October  6th  to  the  end  of  the  year,  three 
hundred  ounces  of  gold  through  their  agents  at  the  Thompson  and 
Fraser  Rivers.  The  officers  of  the  Company  at  Victoria  were  aware 
of  the  auriferous  wealth  of  those  rivers.  Governor  Douglas,  in  a 
despatch  dated  December  29th,  to  Secretary  of  State  Labouchere, 
.states,  that  "the  auriferous  character  of  the  country  is  daily  becoming 
more  developed,  through  the  exertions  of  the  native  Indian  tribes, 
who,  having  tasted  the  sweets  of  gold-finding,  are  devoting  much  of 
their  time  and  attention  to  that  pursuit."  Other  parties  from  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territories  had  come  north  by  way  of  Colville,  and 
found  their  way  to  the  junction  of  the  Thompson  and  Fraser  Rivers. 
They  found  several  rich  bars  in  that  vicinity  and  worked  them  with 
good  success. 

AUTHORITY  REQUIRED. — Hearing  of  this  success,  John  Scranton, 
an  experienced  miner,  McMullin,  governor  of  the  territory,  and 
Secretary  Mason,  accompanied  by  Ballou,  also  a  miner,  and  several 
others,  proceeded  to  Victoria  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  reports 
which  they  had  heard.  The  reports  were  confirmed,  and  a  procla- 
mation was  issued  by  Governor  Douglas,  bearing  the  date  of  his 


264  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

despatch  to  Labouchere,  declaring  that,  as  the  gold-bearing  regions 
referred  to  at  or  near  Thompson  and  Fraser  Rivers  belonged  to  the 
Crown  of  Great  Britain,  all  persons  were  forbidden  to  dig  or  disturb 
the  soil  in  search  of  gold  until  authorized  in  that  behalf  by  her 
Majesty's  colonial  Government. 

THE  NEWS  SPREAD  RAPIDLY. — This  information  made  the  inquirers 
from  San  Francisco  more  anxious.  On  their  return  the  news  spread 
like  wild-fire.  Ballou,  having  been  engaged  in  the  southern  mines, 
and  also  in  the  northern  mines,  partly  as  an  expressman,  forthwith 
made  arrangements  to  start  "  Ballou's  Express  "  from  San  Francisco 
to  the  Fraser  River  mines.  Governor  Douglas  further  reported  to 
Labouchere,  January  14th,  1858:  "There  is  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  gold  region  is  extensive,  and  I  entertain  sanguine  hopes  that 
future  researches  will  develop  stores  of  wealth,  perhaps  equal  to  the 
gold-fields  of  California  —  the  geological  formation  being  similar  in 
character  to  the  structure  of  the  mountains  in  Sierra  Nevada." 

NATIVES  JEALOUS. — He  also  wrote  on  the  6th  of  April:  "The 
search  for  gold  up  to  the  last  dates  from  the  interior  was  carried  on 
almost  exclusively  by  the  native  population,  who  had  discovered  the 
productive  mines,  and  washed  out  all  the  gold,  about  eight  hundred 
ounces,  thus  far  exported  from  the  country,  and  that  they  were 
extremely  jealous  of  the  whites  digging  for  gold.  In  addition  to 
the  diggings  before  known  on  Thompson  River  and  its  tributary 
streams,  a  valuable  deposit  has  recently  been, found  by  the  natives 
on  the  bank  of  the  Fraser  River,  about  five  miles  beyond  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Thompson  ;  and  gold  in  smaller  quantities  has  been 
found  in  possession  of  the  natives  as  far  as  the  great  falls  of  the 
Fraser,  some  miles  above  the  Forks." 

THE  GOLDEN  "AURORA  BOREALIS." — Thus  the  discovery  became 
known  and  spread  with  astonishing  rapidity.  A  descriptive  writer 
says  :  "  It  is  noised  abroad  that  gold  abounds  in  British  Columbia. 
Then  men  everywhere  throughout  the  world  begin  to-  study  their 
maps  to  see  where  is  situated  the  favored  isle  that  guards  the 
auriferous  mainland.  California  is  to  be  outdone,  as  the  rivers  of 
British  Columbia  are  larger  than  those  of  California.  The  glories 
of  Australia  shall  pale  before  this  new  golden  aurora  borealis.  As 
in  California  the  precious  metal  was  most  abundant  near  the  sources 
of  the  streams,  and  was  thought  by  some  to  have  flowed  in  with  the 
streams  from  the  north  ;  so  in  the  north,  it  is  now  expected,  may  be 
found  the  primitive  source  where  the  deposits  were  originally  formed. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  265 

And  so  the  settlers  on  Vancouver  Island,  on  the  Cowlitz,  and  on 
the  Columbia,  leave  their  farms ;  then  the  servants  of  the  monopoly 
fling  off  their  allegiance ;  the  saw  mills  round  the  Sound  are  soon 
idle,  and  finally  wave  after  wave  of  eager  adventurers  roll  in  from 
the  south  and  east,  from  Oregon  and  from  California,  from  the 
islands  and  Australia,  from  Canada  and  Europe,  until  the  third 
great  DEVIL-DANCE  of  the  nations  within  the  decade  begins  upon 
the  Fraser." 

CREWS  DESERT  VESSELS. — The  San  Francisco  Herald  of  the  20th 
of  April,  1858,  recorded  that  the  excitement  was  fully  equal  in  extent 
to  that  which  arose  in  the  Atlantic  States  from  the  reports  of  gold 
discoveries  in  California  in  1848-9.  Several  hundred  persons  had 
gone  to  Fraser  River  from  Puget  Sound.  The  excitement  was  much 
greater  in  Washington  and  Oregon  Territories  than  on  Vancouver 
Island.  Crews  brought  vessels  from  San  Francisco  for  lumber  to 
Puget  Sound,  and  then  deserted  them.  From  the  interior  of  Cali- 
fornia all  classes  abandoned  their  occupations  and  made  their  way  to 
San  Francisco.  In  April  the  whole  of  the  country  was  in  a  ferment. 
Hundreds  from  the  northern  counties  of  California  took  the  overland 
route  ;  companies  of  men,  numbering  from  four  to  five  hundred, 
accompanied  by  pack  trains,  travelled  by  the  interior  route.  They 
found  it  necessary  to  travel  in  large  companies  for  protection  against 
Indians. 

•  THE  OVERLAND  RouTE.-^The  route  taken  was  by  Okanagan  to 
Kamloops.  A  train  of  waggons  drawn  by  oxen  came  from  Portland, 
encamping  at  Dallas.  The  loads  were  provisions,  and  each  waggon 
contained  about  three  thousand  pounds.  The  Columbia  River  was 
crossed  at  Okanagan  by  swimming  the  oxen  and  placing  the  waggons 
and  freight  on  canoes  lashed  together.  The  companies  which  travelled 
by  pack  trains  moved  more  rapidly  than  the  "  bull  trains."  Palmer, 
who  organized  the  cattle  train,  made  a  second  trip  in  1859,  going  as 
far  north  as  Alexandria  and  Lightning  Creek.  The  oxen  were  sold 
for  beef  after  arriving  at  their  journey's  end.  Another  route  was  by 
.Whatcom  and  Puget  Sound,  but  the  main  body  of  miners  came  direct 
from  San  Francisco. 

WELL  ORGANIZED. — One  of  those  companies  from  Oregon  and 
California,  which  was  organized  under  the  leadership  of  David 
McLaughlin,  remained  at  Walla  Walla  a  few  days  to  recruit.  They 
had,  according  to  Bancroft,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  horses  and 
mules,  and  numbered  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  all  well  armed  with 


266  HISTORY   OF    BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

revolvers,  ninety  rifles,  besides  other  arms.  Before  starting,  Mr. 
Wolfe,  a  trader  from  Colville,  arrived  at  their  camp  and  informed 
them  of  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  natives  along  the  proposed  route, 
advising  a  thorough  military  organization.  Four  divisions  were 
accordingly  formed  and  placed  under  the  command  of  James 
McLaughlin,  Hambright,  Wilson  and  another.  The  Walla  Wallas, 
Palouses,  Okanagans  and  other  tribes  were  hostile.  The  party 
passed  through  the  Grand  Coulee  to  Okanagan.  On  their  way  over 
the  Columbia  plains,  a  German  who  had  lagged  behind  was  seized  by 
the  savages  and  killed. 

INDIAN  FORTIFICATIONS. — After  crossing  the  Columbia,  and  travel- 
ling for  two  or  three  days,  when  near  the  boundary  line  on  the  east 
side  of  Okanagan  River,  the  party  came  to  a  hill  on  which  were  rude 
fortifications,  and  Indians  in  force  on  each  side  of  the  road,  which 
there  had  to  pass  through  a  canyon.  McLaughlin  discovered  an 
Indian's  head  peering  over  a  rock.  The  men  took  promptly  to  their 
work,  and  fought  till  night.  None  of  the  animals  stampeded ;  they 
and  the  trains  were  conducted  to  the  plateau  below.  While  the 
riflemen  continued  after  nightfall  facing  the  Indians,  a  detachment 
prepared  rafts  to  cross  the  river,  with  the  intention  of  flanking  the 
savages  in  their  defences  and  formidable  fastnesses. 

FIRES  AND  COUNTER-FIRES. — Three  of  the  Californians  were  killed, 
and  seven  were  wounded,  but  recovered.  In  the  night  the  Indians 
set  fire  to  the  grass,  and  the  gold-hunters  set  counter-fires,  but  neither 
party  succeeded  in  burning  the  other  out.  Next  morning  the  white 
men  proceeded  to  bury  their  dead,  and  discovered  that  the  Indians 
had  abandoned  their  stronghold.  It  had  about  a  hundred  breast- 
works, each  made  to  shelter  one  Indian.  At  the  time  of  the  attack 
-eighty  savages  occupied  the  places  of  shelter. 

THE  PROWLING  SAVAGES  FOLLOW. — Between  two  and  three  days 
after  the  skirmish  referred  to,  another  attack  was  made  on  the  party, 
this  time  on  the  west  side  of  Okanagan  River.  A  hundred  mounted 
warriors  rode  down  upon  them,  with  the  intention  of  separating  the 
party  from  their  animals.  The  purpose  of  the  savages  was  anticipated 
and  prevented.  After  considerable  delay  and  parley,  peace  was  made 
with  the  hostile  tribe,  the  Okanagans,  and  the  gold-hunters  continued 
their  march  without  further  delay.  The  prowling  savages,  with 
hostile  and  thieving  intent,  continued  to  follow  them  to  a  point 
within  three  days'  march  of  Thompson  River.  That  stream  was 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  267 

reached  twelve  miles  above  its  mouth.  Wolfe,  the  trader,  had  sixty 
head  of  cattle  stolen  by  the  Indians  during  the  trip. 

OVER  THIRTY  THOUSAND  PEOPLE.— According  to  the  estimate  of 
John  Nugent,  who  acted  as  consular  agent  for  the  United  States,  in 
May,  June  and  July,  1858,  at  least  twenty-three  thousand  persons 
went  from  San  Francisco  by  sea,  and  about  eight  thousand  overland, 
making  an  aggregate  of  over  thirty  thousand  in  the  course  of  the 
season.  Out  of  this  vast  number,  the  same  authority  says  they  all 
returned  to  the  United  States  before  January,  1859,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  about  three  thousand.  The  emigration  was  encouraged  by 
steamboat  owners,  who  reaped  a  rich  harvest  by  the  excitement.  All 
sorts  of  craft  were  engaged  in  the  transport  trade — crowded  and 
uncomfortable.  A  writer  says :  "  The  worm-eaten  wharves  of  San 
Francisco  trembled  almost  daily  under  the  tread  of  the  vast  multitude 
that  gathered  to  see  the  northern-bound  vessels  leave."  Many  of  the 
adventurers  were  well  supplied  with  tools,  and  brought  plenty  of 
money  to  invest  in  land  and  other  speculations.  The  money,  as  a 
rule,  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  as  the 
only  safe  in  the  country  was  owned  by  them  in  Victoria. 

GOLD  DOST  ON  DEPOSIT. — On  the  20th  of  April,  1858,  the  steamer 
Commodore  left  San  Francisco  with  the  first  party  of  four  hundred 
-and  fifty  of  those  adventurers.  Governor  Douglas,  writing  to  London 
of  their  arrival,  says  :  "  There  seems  to  be  no  want  of  capital  among 
them.  About  sixty  were  British  subjects,  sixty  Californians,  and 
the  remainder  Germans,  French  and  Italians."  Mr.  Finlayson,  the 
treasurer  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  received  such  gold  as  they 
wished  to  deposit  for  safe  keeping.  He  required  that  each  man's 
gold  should  be  placed  in  a  sack  and  sealed,  with  the  owner's  name  on 
it,  and  a  receipt  granted.  When  the  owner  wanted  the  money,  he 
produced  the  receipt  and  the  sack  was  handed  over  to  him ;  or  if  he 
wished  to  use  a  portion  of  the  contents,  he  might  take  it  out  of  the 
bag  and  put  on  a  new  seal.  There  was  no  counting  of  the  money. 
Mr.  Finlayson,  in  later  days,  referred  with  justifiable  pride  to  the 
fact  that  not  one  instance  of  complaint  or  loss  ever  occurred. 

TOWNSEND  AND  WnATCOM. — Before  navigation  on  the  Fraser  was 
properly  established,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  of  San  Francisco, 
landed  passengers  at  Port  Townsend,  in  Puget  Sound.  Whatcom, 
also,  was  made  a  landing-place  for  the  miners,  and  an  attempt 
made  to  establish  a  town  there.  A  trail  was  made  overland  to  the 
diggings,  but  subsequently  abandoned,  when  Fraser  River  was  found 


268  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

practicable  for  large  steamers.  It  was  arranged  that  by  payment  of 
a  royalty  for  each  trip,  United  States  steamers  were  permitted  to 
enter  the  Fraser,  and  run  from  Victoria  to  Langley  and  Hope.  The 
trail  from  Whatcom  touched  the  Fraser  at  Smess,  twenty  miles  above 
Langley.  The  fare  being  twenty  dollars  from  Victoria  to  Yale, 
many  of  the  miners  provided  their  own  boats,  and  it  is  stated  that 
hundreds  of  them  were  never  heard  of  after  leaving  Victoria,  having 
been  swamped  in  sudden  storms  or  by  treacherous  tide-rips.  Not  a 
few  returned  to  Victoria,  after  attempting  to  pass  through  the 
numerous  channels  of  the  Haro  Archipelago,  which  required  some 
skill  to  navigate  them  with  safety  or  prevent  getting  bewildered 
amongst  their  tortuous  passages. 

THE  RATES  OF  PASSAGE  from  San  Francisco  were :  first-class,  by 
steamer,  $65 ;  steerage,  $35 ;  by  sailing  craft,  from  $25  to  $60. 
Cornwalis  estimated  that  up  to  the  20th  June,  14,000  persons  had 
embarked  at  San  Francisco  by  steam  and  sail.  Commander  R.  CL 
Mayne,  of  the  Royal  Navy,  who  was  at  Victoria  and  in  British 
Columbia  in  connection  with  the  Admiralty  surveys  during  the  gold 
excitement,  had  an  excellent  opportunity  of  knowing  the  exact  state 
of  affairs.  He  says :  "  The  excitement  in  Victoria,  I  think,  reached 
its  climax  in  July.  On  the  27th  of  June,  the  Republic  steamed  into- 
Esquimalt  harbor  from  San  Francisco  with  800  passengers  ;  on  the 
1st  of  July,  the  Sierra  Nevada  landed  1,900  more ;  on  the  8th  of  the 
same  month,  the  Orizaba  and  the  Cortez  together  brought  2,800  ; 
and  they  all  reported  that  thousands  waited  to  follow.  The  sufferings 
of  the  passengers  upon  this  voyage,  short  as  it  is,  must  have  been 
great,  for  the  steamers  carried  at  least  double  their  complement  of 
passengers.  Of  course,  Victoria  could  not  shelter  this  incursion  of 
immigration,  although  great  efforts  were  made,  and  soon  a  large  town 
of  tents  sprung  up  along  the  harbor  side." 

As  the  bustle  increased  so  did  the  work  and  responsibilities  of 
Governor  Douglas.  Despatches  to  and  from  the  home  Government 
multiplied,  and,  whether  sent  or  received,  required  thought  and 
consideration.  Thousands  of  natives  also  were  attracted  to  Victoria 
which  added  to  the  confusion,  and  it  was  fortunate  that  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  understood  how  to  manage  them  so  well,  and  had  them 
so  much  under  authority.  Reviewing  the  state  .of  affairs  just  then., 
Bancroft  says,  "the  country  was  transformed,  as  by  magic,  from  staid 
savagery  to  pandemonium." 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD.  269 

WAR  VESSELS. — Fortunately  for  Governor  Douglas,  there  were  at 
Esquimalt  a  large  fleet  of  British  war  vessels.  The  Satellite  and 
Plumper  were  engaged  in  making  surveys  of  the  coast  and  denning 
the  various  channels  around  the  islands  in  the  Gulf  of  Georgia. 
Admiral  Baynes  also  arrived  in  the  Ganges  accompanied  by  the 
Tribune,  The  Otter  and  the  Beaver,  belonging  to  the  Company,  were 
also  available,  and  were  armed  with  boarding  nettings,  etc.  The 
Satellite  was  stationed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Fraser,  with  revenue 
officers  aboard  to  collect  toll  on  vessels  entering  the  river.  The 
Plumper  assisted  in  enforcing  the  regulations.  It  was  necessary  to 
establish  some  sort  of  government  to  maintain  peace  and  order,  and 
although  Governor  Douglas  was  only  appointed  to  govern  the  colony 
of  Vancouver  Island,  he  assumed  authority  as  being  the  nearest 
representative  of  Queen  Victoria  to  the  mainland. 

VISIT  TO  THE  MAINLAND. — A  proclamation  was  issued  on  the  8th 
of  May,  1858,  warning  all  persons  that  "any  vessels  found  in  British 
north-west  waters,"  not  having  a  license  from  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  and  a  sufferance  from  the  customs  officer  at  Victoria, 
should  be  forfeited. "  To  see  for  himself  how  the  mining  crowds  were 
operating,  Governor  Douglas  proceeded  to  the  mainland.  He  was 
anxious  especially  that  peaceful  relations  with  the  natives  should  be 
maintained.  He  knew  from  the  history  of  mining  in  California  that 
serious  collision  with  the  tribes  might  occur.  The  Indians  argued 
that  as  they  had  received  pay  for  their  furs,  they  must  also  have  pay 
for  gold,  and  did  not  wish  strangers  to  come  into  the  country  and 
carry  it  away  from  them. 

LICENSES  GRANTED. — On  arriving  at  Langley,  then  the  metropolis 
of  the  mainland,  Governor  Douglas  found  speculators  taking  possession 
of  the  land,  and  even  staking  out  lots  for  sale.  He  also  found 
sixteen  canoes  without  license;  they  were  seized,  but  released  and 
passes  granted  on  the  payment  of  five  dollars  each.  Goods  found  for 
sale  by  traders  were  seized  and  forfeited  as  contraband.  .  On  his  way 
to  Fort  Hope,  he  received  letters  from  Mr.  Walker,  in  charge  there, 
stating  that  "  Indians  are  getting  plenty  of  gold,  and  trade  with  the 
miners.  Indians'  wages  from  three  to  four  dollars  per  day.  There 
were  miners  at  Hill  Bar,  two  miles  below  Fort  Yale,  making  on  an 
average  one  and  a  half  ounces  per  day,  each  man.  Eighty  Indians 
and  thirty  white  men  were  employed."  A  log  house  and  store  was 
built  a  short  distance  from  the  fort,  and  a  boarding  house  opened  a 
short  distance  beyond  the  fort.  Thus  it  was  evident  that  the  fur 


270  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

trade  in  that  region  was  ruined,  as  the  Indians  had  caught  the  gold 
fever  as  well  as  the  white  miners. 

A  STANDARD  LICENSE. — Fort  Hope  then  became  the  most  important 
place  on  the  mainland,  on  account  of  its  mineral  surroundings.  The 
governor  found  it  necessary  to  establish  mining  regulations  and 
licenses,  as  previous  to  his  arrival  the  miners  has  posted  regulations 
amongst  themselves  on  Hill  Bar.  A  claim  according  to  their  law 
consisted  of  twenty-five  feet  frontage  ;  but  the  standard  license  was 
granted  on  payment  of  twenty-one  shillings  by  each  miner,  and  must 
be  carried  on  the  miner's  person,  for  access  and  examination. 
Sunday  was  to  be  observed.  One  claim,  12  feet  square.  To  a 
party  of  two  miners,  12  feet  by  24 ;  to  a  party  of  three  miners, 
18  feet  by  24  ;  to  a  party  consisting  of  four  miners,  24  feet  by 
24  =  576  square  feet,  beyond  which  no  greater  area  would  be  allowed 
in  one  claim. 

PROVISIONS  SCARCE. — The  governor  visited  several  of  the  mining 
camps  in  the  vicinity.  He  had  a  meeting  at  Fort  Yale  with  several 
chiefs,  and  cautioned  them  as  to  their  behavior  towards  the  whites. 
Richard  Hicks,  an  English  miner,  was  appointed  revenue  officer  at  a 
salary  of  forty  pounds  a  year  to  be  paid  out  of  the  revenue  of  the 
country.  Gold  was  plentiful,  more  so,  the  miners  think,  than 
formerly  found  in  California.  Provisions  were  scarce — pork,  coffee 
and  flour,  each  one  dollar  a  pound.  Therefore  permission  was,  on 
the  governor's  return  to  Victoria,  granted  to  two  steamers  to  carry 
provisions  as  well  as  passengers  to  the  Fraser  River  diggings.  The 
matter  was  made  the  subject  of  a  conference,  held  10th  June,  1858, 
between  the  Council  and  members  of  the  Assembly.  The  speaker 
pointed  out  that,  as  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  would  not  be  able  to 
supply  the  large  number  of  people  that  would  be  at  the  mines  in  a 
very  short  time,  it  would  be  necessary  and  proper  to  allow  vessels 
to  carry  provisions. 

INDIAN  OPPOSITION  TO  "BOSTON  MEN." — GEORGE  PERRIER  was 
created  justice  of  the  peace  at  Hill  Bar.  Several  Indians  were  also 
appointed  magistrates  to  bring  to  justice  any  members  of  their  tribes 
who  might  be  charged  with  having  committed  offences.  Bands  of 
natives  were  becoming  troublesome  and  more  opposed  to  the  presence 
of  white  miners.  Governor  Douglas  who  always  had  great  influence 
with  the  Indians,  got  matters  quieted  down.  The  miners  who  came 
in  from  California  and  Oregon  by  the  Colville  route,  met  with  great 
opposition  from  the  natives,  whilst  the  Hudson  Bay  traders  were 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  271 

allowed  to  pass  through  unmolested.  It  does  not  follow  from  this 
that  the  officers  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  instigated  the  attacks 
of  the  hostile  Indians.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  through  their 
influence  that  an  Indian  war  was  avoided  on  the  British  side  of  the 
boundary  line.  The  real  cause  was  the  general  antipathy  of  the 
Indians  against  the  "  Boston  men,"  and  that  on  the  United  States 
side  of  the  line  several  engagements  had  taken  place  between  Colonel 
Steptoe  and  the  Indians  of  the  Columbia. 

AN  ENCOUNTER. — In  August  the  Indians  had  become  so  bold  that 
on  the  7th  of  the  month  they  killed  two  Frenchmen  on  the  trail  above 
the  Big  Canyon.  When  the  news  of  the  outrage  reached  Yale,  forty 
miners  immediately  organized  under  Captain  Blouse,  to  force  a 
passage  to  the  Forks.  On  reaching  Boston  Bar,  they  united  with 
about  150  miners  who  had  gathered  there.  They  had  an  encounter 
on  the  14th  of  August,  near  the  head  of  Big  Canyon.  The  fight 
lasted  three  hours.  Seven  Indian  braves  were  killed.  The  Indians 
were  routed,  and  whether  hostile  or  peaceable,  were  all  driven  out  of 
the  canyon.  The  company  returned  to  Yale,  where  on  the  17th  two 
thousand  miners  attended  a  meeting  to  consider  the  best  mode  of 
dealing  with  the  Indians. 

SNYDER  CHOSEN  LEADER. — A  leader  was  chosen  by  them,  H.  M. 
Snyder,  whom  they  elected  captain  of  the  force.  Over  150  men  were 
enrolled  under  Snyder's  leadership  and  his  lieutenant,  John  Centras, 
who  represented  the  French-Canadians.  A  small  party  of  Whatcom 
men  enrolled  themselves  under  Captain  Graham.  On  the  18th  the 
whole  force  set  out  for  Spuzzum,  carrying  a  few  days'  provisions. 
They  encamped  at  the  Rancheria  for  the  night.  Their  number  was 
there  augmented  to  about  two  hundred  men.  Snyder  held  a  meeting, 
and  represented  the  necessity  for  united  action  in  order  to  bring  the 
expedition  to  a  successful  and  speedy  issue.  He  also  advocated  con- 
ciliatory measures,  and,  after  some  argument,  had  a  majority  in 
favor  of  the  Pacific  plan,  and  was  voted  the  recognized  commander. 

BAD  MANAGEMENT.  —  Snyder,  without  delay,  marched  with  his 
men  to  Long  Bar,  where  the  most  troublesome  of  the  natives  were 
assembled.  He  held  a  parley  with  them,  at  which  they  declared 
they  desired  peace,  so  he  concluded  a  treaty  with  them.  A  flag  of 
truce  (white)  was  sent,  along  with  five  natives,  to  a  place  about  four 
miles  distant,  where  Graham's  party  had  promised  to  wait.  Instead 
of  honoring  the  flag,  he  took  it  and  trampled  upon  it.  The  Indians 
retired,  and  Graham  camped  there  for  the  night.  Before  morning 


272  HISTORY    OF    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

an  attack  was  made  by  the  Indians  on  Graham's  camp.  He  and 
his  lieutenant  were  killed  by  the  first  fire.  The  Indians  at  once 
retreated,  having  apparently  obtained  sufficient  revenge  for  the  out- 
rage which  they  considered  had  been  made  on  their  flag.  Snyder 
continued  his  march  along  the  Fraser  to  Thompson  River,  returning 
on  the  25th  to  Yale,  having  made  treaties  of  peace  with  two 
thousand  Indians  between  Spuzzum  and  the  Forks.  In  the  course 
of  the  campaign  thirty  Indians  were  killed,  and  they  nearly  all  by 
the  rifle  company  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight. 

PEACE  RESTORED. — In  the  meantime  Governor  Douglas  had  pre- 
pared to  make  another  journey  to  the  mining  region,  with  thirty-five 
sappers  and  miners  and  twenty  marines  from  the  Satellite,  but  on 
hearing  of  the  result  of  Snyder's  expedition,  did  not  deem  further 
interference  necessary.  The  miners  set  to  work  again  on  their 
claims.  Along  the  Fraser  River  they  had  no  further  trouble  with  the 
Indians,  who  rather  assisted  the  magistrates  in  keeping  order,  by 
arresting  gamblers  and  other  outlaws  that  otherwise  might  have 
escaped  the  vigilance  of  the  local  officials.  The  trails  towards  .Lytton 
were  then  considered  safe  for  travel,  and  were  crowded  with  miners 
carrying  their  provisions  and  outfits  towards  the  interior.  Govern- 
ment affairs  were  progressing  quietly  at  Victoria,  notwithstanding 
the  great  stir  caused  by  the  numerous  arrivals  and  departures  which 
took  place  daily. 

A  CONFERENCE  WAS  HELD  at  the  Government  House,  on  the  10th 
of  June,  1858,  between  his  Excellency  Governor  Douglas  and  his 
Council — John  Work  and  Roderick  Finlayson — and  the  following 
members  of  the  Assembly :  Messrs.  Skinner,  Yates,  Pemberton, 
McKay  and  Dr.  Helmcken.  The  subjects  were  : 

1.  EXCLUSIVE  TRADE  AND  NAVIGATION. — With  regard  to  the  rights 
of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  as  to  the  exclusive  right  of  navigation 
-and  trade,  Dr.    Helmcken  suggested  that  the  license  granted  them 
referred  only  to  trade  with    Indians  and   not  to  white  men.     His 
Excellency  replied  that  at  the  time  of  granting  the  license   there 
were  no  white  men  resident  in  the  territory,  and  that  therefore  they 
•did  possess  the  exclusive  right  of  navigation  and  trade. 

2.  NAVIGATION  LAWS. — Whether  the  executive  had  assumed  any 
authority     over    Fraser    River,     his    Excellency    said    he   had    not 
assumed   any   such  authority ;  but  as  representative  of  the   Crown 
he  had  taken  measures  to  preserve  law  and  order,  and  had  made 
regulations    enforcing  the  navigation  laws  of   Great  Britain.      He 
had  allowed   persons  to  go  up  the  river,  and  granted   them  licenses 
to   mine;    had  appointed  custom   house  officers   and  justices  of  the 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  273 

peace,  and  had  called  upon  her  Majesty's  ship  Satellite  to  assist  in 
preventing  any  violation  of  the  navigation  laws. 

3.  THE  GOVERNOR'S  A  UTHORITY. — On  the  point,  by  whose  authority 
the  "suffrances"  to  Fraser  River  navigation  are  granted,  the  gover- 
nor stated  they  were  granted  by  him  by  virtue  of  the  power  vested 
in  him  as  representative  of  the  Crown,  as  well  as  by  the  consent 
of  the  agents  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  The  Speaker  (Dr. 
Helmcken)  suggested  that  the  miners,  having  been  allowed  to  go 
up  the  river,  and  the  Government  having  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
assumed  control  of  the  stream,  it  would  follow  that  these  people  had 
a  right  to  be  supplied  witli  provisions,  exclusive  of  the  Company's 
monopoly,  and  therefore  that  British  vessels,  duly  cleared  here,  had 
a  right  to  proceed  up  the  river  for  that  purpose ;  and  that  if  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  had  neither  the  means  nor  inclination  to 
supply  the  large  number  of  people  that  would  be  at  the  mines  within 
a  short  time,  it  appeared  probable  that  starvation  or  serious  calam- 
ities would  ensue.  It  would  therefore  be  necessary  and  proper  to 
allow  vessels  to  carry  provisions.  The  governor  replied  that  the 
matter  had  given  rise  to  serious  deliberation  and  attention.  Already 
permission  had  been  granted  to  two  United  States  steamers  to  carry 
passengers  and  provisions,  under  certain  restrictions.  Necessity  had 
compelled  this  action,  and  had  also  forced  him  to  act  more  or  less 
illegally,  but  not  unjustly.  Should  an  emergency  arise,  permits 
would  of  course  be  granted  to  other,  vessels  for  like  purposes,  and 
every  possible  means  be  adopted  for  the  prevention  of  suffering  in 
the  mining  region. 

4.  ADDITIONAL  VIEWS  EXPRESSED. — Touching  the  future  govern- 
ment of  Fraser  River,  his  Excellency  said  he  could  not  make  known 
the  facts,  as  the  matter  was  under  consideration,  but  the  regulations 
and  stipulations  would  not  interfere  with  the  rights  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company,  and  the  House  of  Assembly  must  recollect  that  what 
had  been  done  was  the  conjoint  act  of  the  governor  as  executive, 
and  the  governor  as  part  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  ;  and  that  he 
had  been  actuated  by  two  motives  :  (1)  To  do  full  justice  to  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  ;  (2)  To  promote,  by  every  legitimate  means, 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  colony.  He  was  always  willing  to 
impart  information  to  the  House,  and  was  pleased  that  the  confer- 
ence had  been  asked.  The  deputation  then  withdrew. 


18 


274  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEK   VIII. 


WATER  QUESTION  AND  LAND  REGULATIONS. 

WATER  SUPPLY. — The  House  of  Assembly  was  called  together,  at 
the  request  of  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  to  meet  on  July  3rd, 
1858.  Present :  Messrs.  Skinner,  McKay,  Yates,  Pemberton  and 
Speaker  Helmcken.  A  petition  signed  by  Messrs.  Peck,  Anderson, 
Young  and  Pearse,  was  received  and  read.  The  petitioners  proposed 
to  form  a  company  for  supplying  the  town  of  Victoria  with  water, 
a-t  one  cent  per  gallon,  provided  that  the  monopo'y  of  supplying  the 
town  be  granted  to  them  for  the  term  of  fifty  years ;  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time  all  the  property  of  said  company  should  fall  to  and 
be  vested  in  the  corporation  of  the  said  town  of  Victoria. 

A  DEFINITE  SCHEME  REQUIRED. — After  some  discussion,  in  which 
the  urgency  of  the  case  was  allowed  and  the  necessity  for  a  supply 
of  water  admitted  by  all,  Mr.  Pemberton,  seconded  by  Mr.  Yates, 
proposed, — "  That  this  House  is  of  opinion  that  an  exact  and  definite 
scheme  should  have  been  proposed,  with  correct  plans  and  estimates, 
showing  its  features  and  probable  profits.  The  water  company 
should  also  state  all  particulars  as  to  its  formation,  the  number  and 
amount  of  shares  and  stockholders,  and  the  amount  of  capital  that 
would  be  deposited  previous  to  obtaining  any  grant  from  the  House." 
The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted. 

REGISTRATION  BILL. — Mr.  McKay  asked  leave  to  bring  in  a  bill 
on  the  subject  of  registration  of  real  estate.  Leave  granted.  First 
reading,  July  8th.  The  Speaker  then  informed  the  House  of  his 
intention,  with  their  permission,  to  resign  his  present  position,  and 
trusted  the  House  would  elect  an  honorable  member  to  till  the  chair. 
An  explanation  was  given  that  the  Speaker's  resignation  would  cause 
a  dissolution  of  the  Assembly.  The  Speaker  therefore  agreed  to 
continue  to  fill  the  chair  until  the  next  general  election. 

THE  ASSEMBLY  MET  AGAIN  on  the  8th  of  July.  Present :  Messrs. 
Pemberton,  Yates,  Kennedy,  McKay,  Skinner  and  Speaker  Helm- 
cken. A  petition  from  Messrs.  Anderson  and  Pearse  was  received 


THE    COLONIAL   PERIOD.  275 

on  the  subject  of  water  monopoly,  setting  forth  the  impossibility 
{in  their  opinion)  of  forming  a  company  for  supplying  the  town  of 
Victoria  with  water,  unless  the  House  should  grant  such  a  body  the 
privileges  prayed  for  in  their  original  application. 

THE  WATER  QUESTION  POSTPONED. — Mr.  Pemberton,  seconded  by 
Mr.  Skinner,  moved, — "  That  this  House  cannot  re-enter  upon  the 
question  unless  the  resolution  of  the  House  (on  July  3rd)  be  com- 
plied with."  The  mover  said  that  in  all  cases  of  companies  being 
formed,  plans  and  calculations  were  made  showing  the  feasibility  of 
the  enterprise.  The  House  could  not  enter  upon  such  subjects  with- 
out  having  accurate  data  upon  which  to  found  an  opinion.  The 
objects  of  government  in  such  instances  were  to  prevent  any  public 
or  private  losses  by  fraudulent  or  frivolous  schemes.  Moreover,  it 
was  beneath  the  House  to  pledge  itself  upon  any  private  question. 
He  was  well  aware  that  preliminary  expenses  were  incurred,  but 
such  risks  were  unavoidable,  and  were  part  of  the  scheme.  He  was 
quite  sure  that  the  House  would  lend  its  assistance  to  any  scheme 
which  would  tend  to  advance  the  prosperity  and  comfort  of  the 
•colony.  The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted.  Mr.  McKay 
asked  leave  to  postpone  the  first  reading  of  the  Registration  of  Real 
Estate  Bill  for  ten  days.  Leave  granted.  The  foregoing  is  a  sample 
of  how  legislation  was  carried  on  at  Victoria  in  the  early  days  of  the 
colony  of  Vancouver  Island. 

THE  PARLIAMENTARY  WORK  in  1858  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
very  onerous.  The  Assembly  met  a  few  times  in  July  and  considered 
the  water  question,  and  resolved  that  his  Excellency  be  requested  to 
"cause  the  springs  and  lands  adjacent  to  the  old  well,  which  formerly 
supplied  the  town  of  Victoria  with  water,  to  be  reserved  for  the 
use  of  the  public,"  In  committee  the  House  further  considered  the 
petition  of  Messrs.  Young,  Anderson  and  Pearse,  relative  to  a  water 
company,  and  recommended  "  the  House  to  grant  a  monopoly  for  the 
term  of  ten  years,  to  a  joint-stock  water  company  proving  itself  the 
best  qualified  to  supply  the  town  of  Victoria  with  water,  in  the 
most  economical  and  satisfactory  manner,  and  at  the  earliest  period." 

HENRY  TOOMY  and  his  associates  presented  a  petition  praying  for 
certain  privileges,  and  liberty  to  form  a  company  to  supply  water 
to  the  town  of  Victoria.  Referred  to  committee  at  next  meeting 
of  the  House.  The  necessity  for  a  public  hospital  was  discussed. 
There  being  a  surplus  of  funds  from  the  licensing  of  taverns  and 
beer  houses,  returns  were  asked  for,  showing  the  revenue  for  the 


276  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

current  year,  and  with  the  view  of  voting  supplies  for  next  year. 
The  dangerous  condition  of  some  of  the  bridges  and  the  obstructions 
to  streets  from  building  operations  were  discussed.  Mr.  McKay's 
Registration  Bill  was  introduced.  It  proved  to  be  a  comprehensive 
and  valuable  document.  Many  pf  its  clauses  are  acted  upon  at  the 
present  time.  The  proposed  salary  to  the  registrar  was  not  to  exceed 
£1,200. 

The  House  of  Assembly  held  an  important  meeting  on  September 
23rd.  Matters  relating  to  streets,  water  and  gas  were  discussed,  and 
the  Bill  of  Supply  for  the  year  was  passed,  as  follows  : 

"  Whereas,  it  is  necessary  that  certain  sums  of  money,  amounting 
to  £3,000,  be  supplied  for  certain  useful  purposes  within  the  colony, 
be  it  enacted  by  the  House  of  Assembly  of  Vancouver  Island,  by 
and  with  the  consent  of  his  Excellency  the  Governor  and  honorable 
Council  : 

"1.  That  £2,000  sterling  be  applied  for  the  waggon  roads  in 
certain  portions  of  the  District  of  Victoria,  viz.,  Wharf  Street, 
from  Victoria  Bridge  to  the  south  end  of  Fort  Victoria;  Government 
Street,  from  the  ravine  to  Humbolt  Street ;  Johnson  Street,  from 
Victoria  Bridge  to  Government  Street ;  Yates  Street,  from  Wharf 
Street  tj  Government  Street. 

"  2.  That  £600  be  applied  to  improving  the  road  from  Victoria 
Bridge  to  the  hospitals  at  Esquimalr. 

"3.  That  £150  be  granted  for  the  use  of  the  House  of  Assembly 
of  Vancouver  Island. 

"4.  That  the  various  sums  mentioned  above  be  paid  out  of  the 
funds  received  from  the  licenses  to  inns,  public  and  beer  houses." 

Education  was  not  neglected.  The  colonial  school  at  Craigfiower 
was  examined  July  31st.  The  report  says:  "The  governor,  who 
has  always  been  present  on  former  occasions,  was  hindered  from 
coming  by  business."  The  Rev.  E.  Cridge,  assisted  by  the  teacher, 
Mr.  Clark,  made  the  examination,  which  showed  that  the  pupils  had 
made  a  marked  improvement  since  last  year.  ,  Prizes  sent  by  the 
governor  were  given  to  Jessie  McKenzie,  William  Lid  gate,  Christina 
Veitch  and  Dorothea  McKenzie,  in  the  first  class,  and  four  others  in 
the  junior  classes.  The  girls  of  the  school  had  prepared  a  present 
of  useful  needlework  for  the  governor,  which,  with  an  address  from 
them,  was  duly  forwarded  to  his  Excellency.  The  Victoria  colonial 
school  was  examined  on  the  4th  of  August,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Cridge  and 
the  teacher,  Mr.  Kennedy.  Good  progress  was  reported,  and  prizes 
given  to  Daniel  Work,  William  Leigh,  James  Pottinger,  and  others 
in  the  junior  classes. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  277 

AN  IMPROMPTU  SPEECH. — When  Captain  Richards,  the  boundary 
commissioner,  had  arrived  and  was  being  received  at  the  fort  by 
Governor  Douglas,  on  the  19th  of  July,  the  procession  of  officials 
was  detained  for  a  short  time  by  the  tiring  of  a  salute.  A  large 
body  of  miners  was  present,  and  one  of  them  asked  the  governor 
for  his  advice  about  their  future  movements.  With  that  courtesy 
for  which  his  Excellency  was  celebrated,  he  complied  in  a  very  neat 
speech.  After  referring  generally  to  rumors,  etc.,  he  said  : 

"  I  will  tell  you  as  my  own  settled  opinion  that  I  think  the  country 
is  full  of  gold,  and  that  east  and  north  of  the  Fraser  River  there  is 
a  gold  field  of  incalculable  value  and  extent ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not, 
you  are  the  very  men  who  can  prove  by  your  courage  and  enterprise 
whether  my  opinion  be  right  or  wrong.  .  .  .  Now  go  on  and 
prospect,  and  in  a  few  weeks  you  will  be  able  to  tell  me  what  Fraser 
River  is.  Take  mining  tools  and  food  in  abundance ;  you  will  then 
be  independent  of  others,  and  may  go  to  whatever  part  of  the 
country  you  choose.  I  would  not  advise  you  to  go  beyond  Fort  Yale 
with  your  canoes,  as  the  river  is  dangerous  above  that  point ;  neither 
would  I  advise  you  to  take  the  Fort  Hope  road,  as  you  cannot  carry 
enough  provisions  to  last  you  over  the  journey.  The  route  by 
Harrison  River  is,  I  think,  the  best,  and  we  are  now  preparing  to 
get  a  road  opened  that  way.  .  .  .  Let  me  say  one  word  about 
the  Indians.  They  are  all  friendly  and  all  thievish,  therefore  have 
an  eye  to  your  things,  and  do  not  leave  them  exposed,  for  in  that 
case  the  Indians  will  steal  them.  Get  on  with  them  as  quietly  as 
you  can,  and  Government  will  protect  you.  Be  careful  of  your 
revolvers,  and  be  not  too  ready  to  use  them  in  your  own  cause. 
The  law  of  the  land  will  do  its  work  without  fear  or  favor.  There- 
fore appeal  to  it  in  all  cases;  let  IT  do  justice  between  man  and  man; 
let  IT  defend  your  rights  and  avenge  your  wrongs.  Now,  my  friends, 
go  on  and  prosper  ;  there  is  hard  work  before  you,  and  I  hope  you 
will  be  repaid  with  rich  strikes  and  big  nuggets.  One  word  more 
about  the  views  of  Government.  The  miner  who  acts  in  submission 
to  the  laws,  and  pays  the  Queen's  dues  like  an  honest  man,  shall  be 
protected  in  person  and  property ;  and  as  soon  as  good  and  trusty 
men  are  found,  measures  will  be  taken  for  the  conveyance  and  escort 
of  gold  from  the  mines  to  this  place.  Every  miner  will  give  in  his 
own  sack  and  his  own  weight,  and  have  it  addressed  and  sealed  in 
his  own  presence,  and  get  a  receipt  for  a  sack  said  to  contain  so  much 
gold  dust.  It  will  be  deposited  in  the  public  treasury  at  Victoria, 
and  delivered  to  the  owner  on  production  of  the  deposit  receipt. 
There  will  be  a  charge  made  for  the  expense  of  conveyance,  but  that 
will  be  a  small  matter  compared  to  the  security  of  your  property. 
I  now  wish  you  all  well,  and  shall  not  detain  you  by  any  further 
remarks." 


278  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

THE  FREE  PORT  OF  VICTORIA  is  referred  to  by  a  writer  in  the 
Victoria  Gazette  of  the  24th  of  July,  1858.  After  stating  that 
the  United  States  Government  prohibited  all  navigation  of  their 
inland  Waters,  loud  denunciations  were  indulged  in  at  a  British  river,. 
(the  Fraser)  being  closed  to  their  commerce. 

"  They  exact  a  tax  of  $5  per  month,"  says  the  writer,  "from  foreign 
miners  only,  they  impose  a  head  tax  on  all  foreign  immigrants,  and 
to  crown  all  have  legalized  a  heavy  property  and  stamp  tax  ;  nay, 
even  a  double  tax  on  the  merchants  of  San  Francisco. 

"  Artd  now,  what  state  of  affairs  do  we  find  here  ?  Victoria  a  free 
port — free  from  all  duties,  free  from  harbor  and  pilot  dues,  and  per- 
fectly free  for  the  mercantile  interests  of  all  nations — on  an  equal 
footing.  The  land  titles  here  are  direct  from  the  Crown — a  title 
which  none  can  gainsay  ;  a  simple  tax  of  $5  per  quarter  is  demanded 
from  the  miner  (no  distinction  is  made  between  the  subjects  of  Great 
Britain  and  any  other  nation).  You  see  here  no  array  of  policemen 
to  enforce  the  due  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  yet  the  Sabbath  is  most 
strictly  observed. 

"  Again  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  keep  constantly  on  hand  a 
large  supply  of  stores,  which  they  cheerfully  supply  to  the  people 
at  barely  remunerative  rates  ;  and  it  is  conceded  that  but  for  the 
Company  provisions  would  have  been,  ere  this,  at  famine  prices. 
Even  now,  and  for  weeks  past,  their  stores  have  been  crowded  with 
purchasers,  who  admit  that  they  can  buy  at  thirty  per  cent,  less  than 
from  the  regular  trades. 

"  Were  it  necessary  I  could  enumerate  many  other  evidences,  all 
tending  to  prove  that  the  government  of  Vancouver  Island  is- 
administered  with  an  impartiality,  consistency  and  wisdom  which 
was  not  to  have  been  anticipated.  As  regards  Governor  Douglas* 
during  the  extraordinary  excitement  which  has  existed  here,  his 
administration  has  been  the  theme  of  universal  admiration,  and  so 
far  as  his  acts  being  '  repulsive  to  the  people,'. he  is,  without  excep- 
tion, the  most  popular  man  on  the  island.  He  is  admired  for  the 
ease  and  facility  with  which  he  causes  the  laws  to  be  strictly,  though 
quietly,  enforced,  not  only  for  his  affability  and  courtesy  to  stranger>, 
but  he  is  likewise  esteemed  as  a  gentleman  au  fait  in  all  emergencies, 
and  in  every  way  qualified  to  represent  and  guard  the  important 
interests  committed  to  his  charge." 

PUBLIC  NOTICES. — The  appointment  of  Alexander  C.  Anderson  as 
collector  of  customs  at  Victoria,  is  noticed  in  the  Victoria  Gazette 
of  July  3rd,  and  on  the  15th  of  July  he  publishes  the  following 
notice  :  "  To  avoid  misapprehension,  miners  are  informed  that  there 
is  no  restriction  on  the  amount  of  provisions  that  they  are  allowed 
to  take  up  the  Fraser  River  for  their  own  private  use.  Everyone 
is  permitted  to  take  all  his  necessary  supplies  without  let  or  hind- 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  279 

ranee."  Amongst  other  notices  in  the  Gazette  about  that  time,  it  is 
stated  that  a  letter  designed  to  go  to  New  York  requires  to  have 
twelve  and  a  half  cents  paid  on  it  in  Victoria,  and  to  have  in 
addition  a  United  States  stamp  on  the  envelope;  that  lumber  had 
risen  in  price  to  $110  per  thousand  feet,  on  account  of  the  large 
number  of  buildings  being  erected ;  that  a  license  for  selling  and 
retailing  all  kinds  of  liquor  was  £120,  for  wholesale  dealing  in 
liquors  £100,  and  for  retailing  beer  £50  per  annum  ;  that  1,900 
passengers  had  arrived  at  Esquimalt,  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from 
San  Francisco,  on  the  1st  of  July ;  that  Governor  Douglas  had 
ordered  two  fire  engines  from  San  Francisco ;  that  the  overland 
travel  through  Yreka,  via  Colville,  for  the  Fraser  River  country, 
was  estimated  to  average  100  per  day,  and  that  about  2,500  had 
left  by  that  route  up  to  the  10th  of  July;  that  upwards  of  3,500 
mining  licenses  had  been  granted  in  Victoria  up  to  the  10th  of  July, 
1858.  The  issue  of  July  24th  says:  "Building  is  going  on  briskly 
in  all  quarters  of  the  town.  Our  only  brick  building  is  nearing 
completion,  and  is  shortly  to  be  opened  as  a  hotel."  [This  building  has 
been  used  as  a  hotel  to  the  present  day.  Its  moss-covered  roof  and 
weather-worn  chimney  tops  indicate  its  age  of  nearly  half  a  century, 
but  the  walls  will  last  as  long  as  they  are  kept  covered  with  paint 
and  "  pointed,"  as  the  bricks  now  are. — ED.] 

SALE  OF  TOWN  LOTS. — An  extensive  sale  of  Esquimalt  town  lots 
took  place,  by  auction,  on  the  12th  of  July.  Twenty-five  lots  were 
sold  that  day,  the  prices  ranging  from  $1,450,  the  highest,  which 
was  paid  by  Ah  Gim,  a  Chinese  merchant  from  San  Francisco ; 
the  lowest  brought  $375.  Seven  Chinese  were  the  principal  buyers. 
The  lots  measured  30x100  feet.  Terms :  Ten  per  cent,  at  sale, 
remainder  of  first  half  of  price  when  papers  were  given,  and  the 
balance  (one-half)  at  the  expiration  of  three  months,  without  interest. 

SEARCH  AFTER  GOLD — A  GRAPHIC  DESCRIPTION. — From  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  the  route  to  the  Upper  Fraser,  between  Forts 
Hope  and  Yale,  sixteen  miles,  a  tolerably  fair  idea  may  be  had  of 
what  the  miners  had  to  put  up  with  in  their  search  after  gold.  The 
writer  states  : 

"There  is  but  little  mining  on  the  river  until  about  four  miles 
above  Fort  Hope,  where  bars  begin  to  form,  diverting  the  channel 
of  the  stream  and  affording  a  field  for  mining  operations.  There 
are  probably  2,000  men  engaged  in  mining  on  the  river  between 
Forts  Hope  and  Yale  (July  28th),  on  Gassy  Bar,  Emory's  Bar,  Hill's 


280  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

Bar,  Texas  Bar,  and  other  places.  T.  H.  Moreland,  a  Californian 
miner,  said  he  had  been  working  six  weeks  and  averaged  $50  a  day, 
and  had  never  taken  out  less  than  an  ounce  ($16)  in  any  one  day, 
and  some  days  as  much  as  $90.  Beyond  doubt  very  rich  strikes  have 
been  made  on  Hill's,  Emory's  and  Texas  claims.  They  can  only  be 
bought  at  very  high  prices. 

"  At  all  the  bars  we  passed,  preparations  were  being  made  for  the 
coming  winter,  in  the  erection  of  substantial  log  houses.  At  Hill's 
Bar  I  counted  forty  log  houses  already  built,  and  several  in  the 
course  of  construction.  In  all  the  tents  and  houses  that  I  examined, 
and  I  paid  particular  attention  to  the  subject,  there  were  flour  and 
provisions  enough  to  last  its  occupants  from  one  to  four  months. 
There  is  no  scarcity  of  provisions,  nor  any  starvation  at  any  point 
on  the  river  that  I  have  visi'ed  which  extends  to  New  York  Bar, 
two  miles  above  Fort  Yale.  There  may  be  some  articles  of  luxury 
deficient,  but  I  refer  to  the  great  staples — flour,  bacon,  pork,  beans, 
tea,  sugar,  coffee,  etc.  The  miners  generally  are  in  good  spirits  and 
sanguine  of  doing  well  when  the  river  falls.  To  be  sure,  there  were 
a  few  discontented  men — persons  unaccustomed  to  the  rough  life 
before  them,  and  who  set  out  with  entirely  erroneous  ideas  as  to  the 
country,  and  unprepared  for  the  hardships  and  deprivations  attendant 
upon  living  in  a  wild,  barren  territory,  peopled  with  rude  savages. 
Such,  no  doubt,  will  soon  return  to  their  old  homes,  carrying  tales 
of  discouragement  and  dismay,  but  the  old,  experienced  miner  and 
hardy  pioneer  will  stay,  and,  I  honestly  believe  and  fervently  hope, 
do  exceedingly  well." 

The  description  of  a  further  portion  of  the  trip  furnishes  additional 
interesting  particulars  :  "  We  arrived  at  Fort  Yale  in  a  little  less 
than  nine  hours  from  Fort  Hope.  The  Indians  charged  us  $6.50  for 
bringing  us  up — $4  to  the  owner  of  the  canoes  and  $2.50  to  the 
other.  They  were  exceedingly  expert  with  their  oars  and  well 
acquainted  with  the  river,  and  gave  us  no  trouble  at  all.  I  certainly 
never  paid  out  any  money  which  I  thought  more  fairly  earned. 
FORT  YALE  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  on  a  bend,  a 
mile  and  a  half  below  the  'lower  big  canyon.'  The  bluff  is  some 
twenty  feet  above  the  water,  and  a  heavily  wooded  'flat,'  or  plain, 
extends  back  for  a  mile  or  more  up  and  down  the  river.  High 
mountains  raise  their  tall  and  broken  peaks  on  all  sides,  shutting  the 
town  completely  in. 

"There  are  probably  700  or  800  people  here,  nearly  all  of  whom 
are  miners,  living  in  canvas  tents,  and  waiting  for  the  river  to  fall. 
I  saw  no  drunkenness  or  lawlessness  of  any  kind.  Everything  was 
peaceable  and  quiet.  A  number  of  miners  were  at  work  on  the 
river  bank,  with  rockers,  and  most  of  them  were  making  a  living  by 
washing  the  loose  dirt  and  cobble  stones.  I  slept  at  Mr.  Johnson's  (of 
Ballou's  Express)  tent  that  night,  and  breakfasted  next  morning  with 
my  old  San  Francisco  friend,  Henry  M.  Snyder,  whom  T  found 
tenting  a  little  way  down  the  river.  He  gave  me  a  good  breakfast, 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  281 

consisting  of  fried  salmon,  bacon,  hot  bread  and  coffee,  cooked  by 
himself,  and  served  in  tin  plates  and  cups — each  man  sitting  down 
tailor  fashion  on  the  ground.  I  had  a  sharp  appetite,  and  did  the 
fare  full  justice. 

"  There  is  but  one  public  eating-house  in  the  town,  and  the  invari- 
able diet  is  bacon,  salmon,  bread,  tea  and  coffee,  and  the  charge  $1  a 
meal.  No  milk  or  butter  is  ever  seen.  The  eating-house  is  kept  in  a 
log  house  partly  covered  with  bark,  and  with  a  dirt  floor.  Every- 
thing is  done  in  the  same  room,  which  is  not  more  than  12  x  14,  and 
consequently  exceedingly  cramped  for  space  and  as  hot  as  an  oven. 
The  weather  is  warmer  at  Fort  Yale  during  the  daytime  than  I 
have  found  it  at  any  place  since  I  left  Sacramento,  Cal.,  but  with 
cool  mornings  and  evenings. 

"  On  Tuesday  morning,  in  company  with  Mr.  Snyder  and  a  half 
dozen  others,  I  started  on  foot  up  the  river  bank  to  visit  the  *  lower 
big  canyon  ' — one  of  the  two  worst  places  on  the  river  till  you  get  to 
the  '  Forks/  the  junction  of  the  Fraser  and  Thompson  Rivers,  and 
twenty-two  miles  below  the  'upper  big  canyon.'  After  clambering 
over  logs  and  up  the  rocky  sides  of  mountains  for  a  half  hour  or 
more,  cutting  my  boots  so  as  to  leave  them  valueless,  wearing  out  the 
seat  of  my  trousers  slipping  over  the  rocks,  and  tearing  off  my 
finger  nails,  we  reached  an  elevation  on  the  mountain-side  which 
afforded  an  excellent  view  of  the  '  lower  big  canyon.' 

"  On  both  sides  of  the  river  rise  rocky  mountains  almost  perpen- 
dicularly for  hundreds  of  feet,  so  that,  in  some  places,  if  a  stone 
were  dropped  from  their  top,  it  would  fall  direct  into  the  water 
without  meeting  any  obstacle  in  its  descent.  In  the  centre  of  the 
river  is  a  large  island  of  solid  rock,  which  almost  chokes  up  the 
stream,  leaving  only  about  forty  feet  of  space  on  each  side  for  the 
water  to  pass  through.  The  water  being  forced  through  these  narrow 
-channels,  by  its  immense  weight  and  the  momentum  gained  in  its 
-descent  along  its  steep  bed,  presses  on  with  awful  rapidity  and  power, 
roaring  and  seething  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm.  Here  all  navigation 
ceases,  not  even  the  boldest  and  most  reckless  boatman  daring  to 
attempt  its  passage. 

"Just  a  little  below  the  mouth  of  the  canyon,  on  the  opposite  shore 
from  Fort  Yale,  lies  New  York  Bar,  settled  mostly  by  a  party  of 
New  York  and  San  Francisco  boatmen — chief  among  whom  is  the 
notorious  Martin  Gallagher,  of  vigilance  committee  notoriety,  being 
•one  of  the  men  expatriated  by  that  organization  from  San  Francisco. 
It  is  said  some  very  rich  strikes  have  been  made  on  this  bar.  A  port- 
Age  of  three  hundred  yards  of  both  canoe  and  passengers,  and  then 
the  river  can  be  navigated  until  the  '  upper  big  canyon'  is  reached, 
though  with  great  difficulty,  as  there  are  three  'little  canyons'  still 
to  be  overcome.  I  understood  at  Fort  Yale,  that  Mons.  Rouhaud 
<fe  Sons,  French  capitalists,  have  written  to  Governor  Douglas,  asking 
*he  privilege  of  being  allowed  to  run  a  ferry  between  the  two  '  big 
•canyons' — small  stern-wheelers  to  be  used. 


282  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

"  On  our  return,  about  half-past  noon,  the  town  was  thrown  into  a 
high  state  of  excitement,  upon  hearing  the  report  of  a  cannon  and 
the  screechings  of  a  steam-whistle,  and  a  rumor  gaining  circulation 
that  a  little  stern-wheel  steamer  was  on  her  way  up  the  river.  Every- 
body was  soon  on  the  lookout,  and  canoes  were  sent  beyond  the  bend 
of  the  river,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  strange  noises  and  the 
truth  of  the  report.  Soon  we  learned  by  the  shoutings  along  the 
banks  of  the  river  and  the  continuous  discharge  of  guns  and  pistols, 
that  the  report  was  true;  whereupon,  there  was  the  greatest  rejoicing 
and  pleasure  manifested  by  everyone,  and  powder  was  burnt  amidst 
the  wildest  excitement. 

"  In  a  few  minutes,  the  Umatilla — the  pioneer  steamboat  on  Eraser 
River  above  Fort  Hope — made  her  first  appearance  to  the  people 
of  Yale,  and  was  warmly  welcomed.  Before  her  plank  was  shoved 
ashore,  a  number  of  men  were  clambering  up  her  sides,  eager  to  get 
aboard.  The  Indians,  too,  partook  of  the  enthusiasm,  and  seemed 
delighted  at — to  them — the  novel  spectacle.  She  made  the  passage 
from  Fort  Hope  to  Fort  Yale  in  five  hours,  one  hour  of  which  time 
she  was  aground,  but  without  any  accident.  Immediately  after 
arrival  a  dinner  was  prepared  on  board,  and  a  number  of  the 
principal  inhabitants  invited  to  partake  of  it.  After  dinner,  exactly 
at  thirteen  minutes  past  three  o'clock,  she  started  on  her  first  down 
trip.  Desiring  to  be  one  of  the  passengers  of  the  first  steamboat  that 
ever  penetrated  above  Fort  Hope  on  her  pioneer  trip,  I  put  my 
blankets  aboard.  We  came  down  like  'a  streak  of  chain  lightning,' 
with  a  very  light  head  of  steam,  being  precisely  fifty-one  minutes  on 
the  way.  On  her  upward  passage,  she  was  welcomed  by  the  miners 
on  the  banks  of  the  river  with  shouts  of  joy,  and  the  firing  of  guns 
and  pistols  all  along  the  route. 

"  At  all  places  on  the  river,  including  Hope  and  Yale,  there  were 
no  restrictions  on  trade,  and  merchandise  of  all  descriptions  was 
openly  retailed  to  both  Indians  and  whites.  There  were,  however, 
but  few  stores,  and  the  stocks  of  goods  consisted  chiefly  of  flour  and 
provisions,  mining  utensils,  etc.  The  Hudson  Bay  Company  claim 
the  exclusive  right  of  trading  on  the  river,  and  it  is  presumed  will 
assert  their  right  as  soon  as  practicable.  No  doubt  its  inability  to 
furnish  the  provisions,  or  fear  of  causing  suffering,  is  the  motive 
which  has  induced  them  to  wink  at  this  infraction  of  their  alleged 
exclusive  privilege.  Whilst  there  is  no  immediate  danger  from 
starvation,  the  supply  of  the  prime  necessaries  of  life  being  sufficient 
co  meet  the  present  population  for  at  least  two  months,  still  there 
are  many  articles,  such  as  suitable  clothing,  boots  and  shoes,  etc., 
which  can  scarcely  be  had  at  any  price.  1  have  no  doubt  invoices  of 
dry  goods,  clothing,  etc.,  would  Tneet  with  a  ready  and  profitable  sale. 

"  Probably  not  one  in  ten  of  the  miners  who  own  claims,  or  one 
in  five  of  the  whole  number  on  the  river,  have  ever  purchased  any 
license  to  mine ;  and  there  is  consequently  much  complaint  on  the 
part  of  those  who  complied  with  the  law,  and  they  are  shown  no- 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  28$ 

favor  over  those  who  refused  or  have  failed  to  do  so.  It  is  only  such 
as  came  up  in  the  steamers  that  have  purchased  licenses  those  who 
came  in  canoes  failing  to  do  so.  This  discrimination  has  engendered 
much  prejudice  against  the  steamer  Surprise,  who  in  every  case  has 
insisted  on  her  passengers  showing  their  mining  licenses,  under  penalty 
of  being  put  ashore.  To  be  sure,  her  officers  were  doing  no  more 
than  their  plain  duty  in  fulfilling  the  terms  of  her  '  sufferance'  to 
navigate  the  river;  but  these  things  are  not  properly  understood  by 
everyone ;  in  a  short  time,  however,  it  is  to  be  expected,  all  these 
things  will  be  remedied  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  all  parties. 

"The  Indians,  as  high  up  as  the  '  upper  big  canyon'  (twenty-five 
miles  above  Fort  Yale),  are  not  at  all  troublesome,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, kind  and  willing  to  work  at  comparatively  low  wages.  The 
influence  exerted  over  them  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  is  won- 
derful, and  reflrcts  great  credit  on  the  Company.  Nowhere  else 
have  I  ever  found  Indians  so  tractable  and  industrious,  and  so  well 
disposed,  and  I  have  had  some  experience  among  the  Indians  of  the 
Southern  and  Western  States.  They  may  pilfer  a  little,  but  if  rum 
is  kept  from  them,  any  other  crime  is  almost  unknown.  They  will 
serve  the  white  man  faithfully  as  guides  or  boatmen,  for  a  small 
amount  of  money  or  cast-off  clothing.  A  penny  whistle  or  a  brass 
button  takes  wonderfully.  Three  friends  of  mine  were  carried  half  a 
day  in  a  canoe  for  the  former  article. 

"  The  tribes  along  the  '  upper  big  canyon,'  having  had  less  inter- 
course with  the  whites,  and  not  being  so  fully  under  the  influence  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  are  inclined  to  be  hostile.  In  one  or 
more  instances,  they  have  stopped  miners  on  the  way  up  to  the 
'forks'  of  Fraser  and  Thompson  Rivers,  and  forced  them  to  surrender 
their  coats  and  even  their  boots,  together  with  a  portion  of  the 
provisions  the  poor  fellows  had  lugged  many  a  weary  mile  on  their 
backs.  I  am  told  on  credible  authority,  so  bold  and  audacious  has 
this  tribe  become  that  a  few  days  ago  a  party  of  Frenchmen  were 
stopped,  when  an  Indian  proposed  to  trade  some  salmon  for  jerked 
beef;  which  offer  being  declined,  one  of  the  Indians  shot  the 
Frenchman  through  the  head.  His  party  fled,  leaving  their  comra  le 
bleeding  on  the  ground,  where  he  was  discovered  some  hours  after- 
wards by  another  party  of  miners  on  the  trail.  Though  not  dead 
when  found,  he  died  within  a  few  minutes  afterwards.  This  unpro- 
voked murder  caused  a  great  deal  of  feeling,  and  there  was  a  talk  of 
organizing  a  company  at  Hope  and  Yale  to  chastise  the  perpetrators 
of  ~it.  The  action  of  H.  M.  Snyder,  as  referred  to,  restored  the  former 
safe  order  of  working." 


284?  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 


LICENSE  FEES  AND  MINING  CLAIMS. 

MINING  REGULATIONS  were  soon  afterwards  enforced,  under  which 
persons  occupying  portions  of  the  gold-fields,  by  erecting  temporary 
buildings,  tents,  etc.,  and  carrying  on  business  in  any  way,  were 
required  to  pay  a  fee  of  thirty  shillings  ($7.50)  monthly,  for  the  use 
of  the  land  so  occupied  by  them,  and  which  they  were  required  to 
pay  in  advance  or  on  demand  to  the  officer  appointed  to  receive  license 
fees.  Persons  desirous  of  establishing  claims  to  new  and  unoccupied 
ground  by  working  in  the  ordinary  method  for  alluvial  gold,  might 
have  their  claims  marked  out  on  the  following  scale  :  1.  Twenty-five 
feet  frontage,  in  rivers,  to  each  person.  2.  Twenty-five  feet  of  the 
bed  of  a  creek,  or  ravine,  to  each  person.  3.  Twenty  feet  square  of 
table-land  or  river  fiats  to  each  person.  Every  such  claim  to  be 
voided  by  the  failure  on  the  part  of  the  claimant  to  work  the  same 
within  ten  days  after  the  date  of  his  acceptance,  and  persons  found 
working  on  such,  or  any  other  ground  without  license  ($5  monthly) 
previously  paid  for  to  the  proper  officer^  shall  pay  double  the 
amount  of  such  license,  and  in  default,  be  proceeded  against  in  the 
usual  manner. 

THE  PUGET  SOUND  AGRICULTURAL  COMPANY  had  three  well-stocked 
farms  in  the  neighborhood  of  Victoria.  They  were  known  as  the 
Oraigflower  or  Mackenzie  farm,  the  Skinner  and  the  Longford 
farms,  each  under  the  charge  of  a  bailiff  or  manager,  who  though 
not  under  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  acted  in  harmony  with  them. 
Every  branch  of  the  Agricultural  Company's  business  was  conducted 
on  the  most  thorough  and  liberal  scale  ;  the  buildings,  massive  and 
•convenient,  were  built  principally  of  stone.  None  but  the  best  breed  of 
cattle,  horses  or  sheep  were  imported,  and  the  machinery  used  was  of 
the  most  improved  kind.  Crops  generally  were  good,  but  better 
adapted  for  stock-raising  than  for  grain.  Vegetables  did  remarkably 
well.  At  the  settlement  of  Craigflower,  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  Victoria,  there  were  from  fourteen  to  twenty  families,  a  well- 
•cultivated  central  farm  with  saw  mill,  oatmeal  mill,  etc.  The  Company 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  285 

yet  retain  considerable  land  on  Vancouver  Island,  which  is  held  for 
sale  under  the  agency  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 

THE  AFRICAN  RACE. — In  those  early  days  there  was  only  one  place 
of  public  worship  in  Victoria,  of  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cridge  was 
pastor,  as  well  as  chaplain  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  From  the 
public  journal  then  published,  it  appears  that  certain  parties  from  the 
United  States  felt  aggrieved  because  a  few  negroes  attended  Mr. 
Cridge's  church,  and  addressed  a  letter  to  him  through  the  press  on 
the  subject,  stating  that  the  "Ethiopians  perspired',  that  several 
white  gentlemen  left  their  seats  vacant  and  sought  the  purer  atmo- 
sphere outside;  others  moodily  endured  the  aromatic  luxury  of  their 
positions,  in  no  very  pious  frame  of  mind  ;  that  the  negro  has  his 
proper  place  among  created  beings;  to  make  him  our  equal  he  must 
submit  to  being  skinned,  renovated,  '  born  anew,'  or  any  other  process 
of  change  to  make  him  white." 

A  CORRESPONDENT  replied,  and  amongst  other  things  said  : 

"Now,  what  is  'the  head  and  front  of  the  offence'  1  A  large 
number  of  the  colored  people  of  the  State  of  California,  who,  as  a 
body  of  industrious,  law-abiding  citizens,  had  no  superiors  in  the  State, 
cheerfully  paying  their  thousands  into  the  State  coffers  for  the 
sustenance  of  the  Government ;  were  despoiled  of  their  property  and 
their  persons  maltreated;  taxed  for  the  support  of  common  school*, 
and  their  children  driven  from  the  school-house  door  ;  mad«  to  pay 
poll  tax,  and  then  driven  from  the  polls.  To  these  wrongs  they 
submitted,  under  earnest  protests,  for  a  series  of  years,  .  .  .  but 
feeling  that  forbearance  had  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  they  left  the  land 
of  their  nativity  around  which  clustered  a  thousand  recollections  of 
home,  friends  and  kindred,  for  what  at  that  time  was  comparatively 
a  distant  and  desolate  region,  there  to  build  themselves  a  home  and 
establish  a  character,  unmolested  beneath  the  genial  laws  of  the 
British  Government.  Victoria,  at  that  time,  had  all  the  appearance 
of  a  quiet  country  village. 

"The  colored  people,  unknown  to  themselves,  were  the  pioneers  of 
a  large  immigration.  They  came  to  escape  the  tyranny  and  oppression 
of  Republican  Democratic  church-going  California,  believing  that 
there  in  the  Church  of  God,  above  all  other  places,  all  distinction  and 
animosities  should  be  buried.  They  were  received  by  this  Government 
with  all  that  frankness  and  cordiality  so  peculiarly  British  ;  welcomed 
and  assured  by  those  in  power  that  they  should  have  the  same  legal 
protection,  and  enjoy  the  same  immunities,  other  things  being  equal, 
as  could  the  most  favored  subjects ;  and  that  the  color  of  their  skin 
should  never  debar  them  from'  their  rights.  Right  nobly  have  they 
maintained  their  former  good  character,  and  we  shall  be  greatly 
disappointed  in  British  character  and  honesty  should  they  prove  false 
to  their  trust." 


286  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

GOVERNOR  DOUGLAS,  accompanied  by  Crown  Solicitor  and  Attorney 
George  Pearkes,  J.  W.  McKay,  Donald  Fraser,  Charles  B.  Young, 
and  other  prominent  citizens  and  government  officials,  left  Victoria 
on  the  30th  of  August  for  Fort  Hope,  Fraser  River.  The  object  of 
the  visit,  more  especially,  was  to  quell  as  much  as  possible  the 
difficulties  and  discontent  which  were  growing  between  the  miners 
and  the  natives,  and  to  make  treaties  of  peace  amongst  them.  It  was 
.also  apparent  that  additional  peace  officers  should  be  appointed  at  the 
more  important  mining  points.  On  the  3rd  of  September  the  gover- 
nor reached  Fort  Hope.  A  salute  was  fired  in  his  honor,  and  every 
respect  was  paid  to  his  Excellency  by  the  miners  and  others.  The 
Indians  looked  upon  him  as  an  old  friend  to  be  trusted,  and  as 
governor  to  be  obeyed. 

A  PROCLAMATION  WAS  ISSUED  at  Fort  Hope  setting  forth  that 
anyone  convicted  before  a  magistrate  of  selling  or  giving  spirituous 
liquors  to  the  natives  of  Fraser  River  or  elsewhere,  would  be  fined 
from  five  to  twenty  pounds.  Permission  was  granted  aliens  to  hold 
lands  for  three  years  without  being  interfered  with,  but  after  that 
time  they  must  become  naturalized  British  subjects  or  convey  them 
to  British  subjects,  otherwise  the  lands  would  be  forfeited.  A  court 
of  justice  was  held  at  Fort  Hope  by  the  Crown  solicitor,  and  several 
offenders  punished.  A  present  was  made  to  Spintlum,  chief  at  the 
Forks,  and  instructions  given  him  how  he  should  conduct  himself 
and  his  tribe  towards  the  miners.  Ten  troopers,  one  warden  of  the 
river,  and  one  sub-commissioner  were  to  be  stationed  at  the  Forks ; 
at  Fort  Hope,  one  justice  of  the  peace,  two  regular  and  ten  special 
constables;  for  Fort  Yale,  one  sub-commissioner,  ten  troopers,  and 
ten  special  constables.  A  miner  named  Eaton,  who  had  murdered  a 
comrade  named  King,  was  committed  to  the  court,  convicted  of 
manslaughter  on  the  testimony  of  six  witnesses  from  Hill  Bar,  and 
sentenced  to  transportation  for  life. 

The  issue  of  the  Victoria  Gazette  of  the  16th  of  September  notices 
that  a  new  map  of  the  town  of  Victoria  had  just  been  completed  by 
the  colonial  surveyor,  and  was  open  for  inspection  by  the  public  at 
the  land  office.  On  the  map  the  names  of  streets  are  given,  "having 
been  chosen  by  that  officer."  They  are  classified  :  first,  those  in  honor 
of  the  governors  of  the  island,  Blanshard  and  Douglas ;  second,  in 
compliment  to  distinguished  navigators  on  this  coast,  Vancouver, 
Cook,  etc. ;  third,  those  named  after  the  first  ships  that  visited  our 
waters,  Discovery,  Herald,  Cormorant,  etc.;  fourth,  those  in  honor 


THE   COLONIAL    PERIOD.  287 

of  Arctic  explorers,  Franklin,  Kane,  Rae,  etc.;  fifth,  those  named 
after  Canadian  cities,  lakes,  rivers,  etc. 

REFORMS  ESTABLISHED.  —  Governor  Douglas  returned  from  his 
Eraser  River  trip  on  the  26th  of  September,  having  accomplished 
much  good  by  his  presence  amongst  the  miners,  who  gave  him  due 
praise  for  the  many  valuable  reforms  which  his  wisdom  enacted. 
He  made  several  speeches  at  principal  points,  giving  the  miners  good 
advice,  and  assuring  them  of  the  sympathy  and  encouragement  of  the 
Government.  Mr.  McKay,  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Assembly, 
who  had  accompanied  the  governor  to  Fraser  River,  was  instructed 
by  him  to  return  by  way  of  Big  Lillooet  Lake  to  the  coast,  to 
ascertain  the  practicability  of  a  route  from  the  coast  to  the  mines 
in  that  direction. 

A  PARTY  WAS  FORMED  which  followed  at  first  the  road-cutting 
expedition  of  the  Lillooet-Harrison  route  to  the  head  of  Big  Lillooet 
Lake.  After  proceeding  some  distance  along  a  river  which  entered 
the  lake  from  the  west,  a  trail  leading  towards  the  coast  was  taken, 
and  in  five  days'  march  the  head  of  Howe  Sound  was  reached — a 
distance  of  fifty-five  miles.  A  portion  of  the  route  was  along  the 
Skowhomish  River,  which  discharged  at  the  head  of  Howe  Sound. 
The  valley,  Mr.  McKay  reported,  is  well  timbered,  and,  if  cleared, 
would  make  good  farming  land.  The  rocks  in  the  neighborhood  are 
principally  slate,  granite  and  basalt.  The  mountains  on  the  east 
side  of  the  valley  appear  to  be  composed  of  soft  red  marl.  Mr. 
McKay  concluded  that  from  Howe  Sound  to  the  valley  of  the 
Lillooet,  the  pass  he  had  travelled  over,  was  the  shortest  and  best 
route  to  the  upper  Fraser.  The  expense,  however,  of  opening  up 
the  new  road,  as  well  as  other  considerations  connected  with  the 
established  route,  prevented  the  attempt  being-  made  to  travel  by 
Howe  Sound. 

FORT  LANGLEY. — Preparations  were  now  being  made  at  old  Fort 
Langley  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  arrival  of  the  Royal  Engineers 
and  others  expected  from  England  in  connection  with  the  new  seat 
of  government  on  the  mainland.  A  sale  of  town  lots  was  advertised 
to  take  place  at  Victoria,  on  or  about  the  20th  of  October,  the  upset 
price  to  be  $100  per  single  lot  of  64  x  120  feet;  lots  to  be  sold 
without  reservation,  unless  for  the  use  of  the  Government.  Barracks 
were  built.  The  roof  was  laid  by  William  Clarkson,  from  Oshawa> 
Ontario,  yet  (1893)  a  resident  in  New  Westminster.  [Mr.  Clarkson 
died  in  1894. — ED.] 


288  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

WHISKEY,  POWDER  AND  SHOT. — The  practice  of  supplying  liquor 
to  Indians  on  the  Fraser  River  and  at  other  places  had  been  the 
cause  of  much  trouble  amongst  the  miners.  At  Yale,  in  August,  a 
case  is  reported  where  some  parties  had  been  selling  whiskey  to  the 
Indians,  keeping  them  in  a  drunken  and  troublesome  state.  The 
agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  Donald  Walker,  supported  by 
the  well-disposed  citizens,  proceeded  to  the  premises  where  the  liquor 
was  kept  for  the  purpose  of  putting  a  stop  to  the  traffic  by  destroy- 
ing the  stock  on  hand.  Mr.  Walker  was  attacked  by  an  outsider, 
when  a  fight  ensued,  during  which  the  officious  party  had  a  portion 
of  his  nose  bitten  off.  The  verdict  of  the  people  was,  "served  him 
right,"  as  the  fellow  had  no  other  interest  in  the  matter  than  that  he 
did  not  wish  to  see  the  whiskey  destroyed  in  what  appeared  to  him 
a  wanton  manner.  The  report  goes  on  to  say  that  "  the  business  of 
supplying  the  savages  with  liquor  by  the  whites  has  found  a  counter- 
part in  their  being  furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition  by  the  Chinese. 
A  boat  loaded  with  these  pestiferous  people  arrived  at  a  bar  on  the 
lower  end  of  the  Big  Canyon,  where  a  company  of  whites  were  at 
work,  and  proceeded  to  sell  powder  and  shot  to  the  Indians.  They 
were  at  once  driven  away,  when  the  Indians  jumped  into  their 
canoes  and  brought  them  back,  threatening  the  whites  in  case  they 
further  molested  them." 

RESIGNED  HIS  FACTORSHIP.  —  In  compliance  with  Lord  Lytton's 
request  that  Governor  Douglas  should  sever  all  official  connection 
with  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  with  the  Puget  Sound  Agricul- 
tural Company,  the  governor  informed  his  Lordship  he  had  resigned 
his  factorship  and  disposed  of  his  stock,  and  would  accept  the  offered 
governorship  of  the  proposed  new  colony  of  British  Columbia,  which 
the  recent  gold  discoveries  had  rendered  necessary  to  be  established 
without  delay. 

FORMER  LICENSE  REVOKED — BRITISH  COLUMBIA  MADE  A  COLONY. 
— On  the  2nd  of  September,  1858,  the  Crown  revoked  the  privileges 
of  exclusive  trade  with  the  Indians  which  had  been  granted  on  the 
30th  of  May,  1838,  for  twenty-one  years  from  that  date,  by  passing 
an  Act  to  provide  for  the  government  of  British  Columbia,  which 
by  that  Act  was  created  a  colony.  A  proclamation  was  issued  at 
Victoria,  on  the  3rd  of  November,  by  Governor  Douglas,  and  a  copy 
of  the  revocation  published  for  the  information  and  guidance  of  all 
persons  interested  therein.  Thus  ended  the  monopoly  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  on  the  mainland,  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  289 

MADE  GOVERNOR  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA. — The  proclamation  of  the 
revocation  just  referred  to,  was  followed  by  another,  dated  from  Fort 
Langley,  19th  November,  1858.  The  commission  appointing  Governor 
Douglas  also  governor  of  the  new  colony,  had  arrived  from  London. 
Chief  Justice  Begbie  had  also  arrived  from  England.  To  perform 
the  ceremony  of  installing  Governor  Douglas  into  his  new  office, 
his  Excellency  was  accompanied  from  Victoria  by  Rear-Admiral 
Baynes,  Mr.  Cameron,  Chief  Justice  of  Vancouver  Island,  Chief 
Justice  Begbie,  of  the  new  colony,  and  several  others,  in  H.M.S. 
Satellite,  Captain  Prevost.  They  anchored  for  the  night  at  Point 
Roberts.  Next  morning  the  party  was  transferred  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company's  steamer  Otter,  and  thence  to  the  Company's  steamer 
Beaver,  which  was  moored  within  the  mouth  of  Eraser  River. 

THE  REPORT  STATES  that  "  both  vessels  then  proceeded  in  company 
as  far  as  old  Eort  Langley,  when  the  Otter  disembarked  a  party  of 
eighteen  sappers,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Parsons.  They 
embarked  on  the  revenue  cutter  Recovery,  joining  the  command  of 
Captain  Grant,  R.E.,  who  had  previously  reached  this  spot  with  a 
party  of  the  same  corps.  The  two  captains  mentioned  had  recently 
arrived  from  England,  each  in  command  of  small  detachments  of  the 
Royal  Engineers.  The  Beaver  then  proceeded  with  his  Excellency 
and  suite  aboard  to  new  Fort  Langley,  when  preparations  were  made 
for  the  ceremonial  of  the  following  day." 

A  GUARD  OF  HONOR,  commanded  by  Captain  Grant,  was  in  readiness 
the  next  day  (19th)  to  receive  his  Excellency  and  party  as  they 
disembarked.  The  morning  was  wet,  and  the  road  leading  to  the 
palisade  rather  slippery.  As  the  party  reached  the  top  of  the  bank,  a 
salute  of  eighteen  guns  was  tired  from  the  Beaver,  and  the  British  flag 
hoisted  over  the  principal  entrance  to  the  fort.  Owing  to  the 
unpropitious  state  of  the  weather,  the  meeting  which  was  intended  to 
have  been  held  in  the  open  air,  was  convened  in  a  large  room  at  the 
principal  building.  About  one  hundred  persons  were  present. 

THE  CEREMONIES. — His  Excellency  commenced  the  ceremonies  by 
addressing  Mr.  Begbie,  and  delivering  to  him  her  Majesty's  commission 
as  judge  in  the  colony  of  British  Columbia  (ipso  facto  Chief  Justice). 
Mr.  Begbie  then  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  the  usual  oaths  on 
taking  office  ;  thereafter,  addressing  his  Excellency,  he  took  up  her 
Majesty's  commission  appointing  Governor  Douglas  to  the  office  of 
Governor  of  British  Columbia.  Mr.  Begbie,  having  read  the 
commission  in  full,  administered  to  Governor  Douglas  the  usual  oaths 
19 


290  HISTORY    OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

•of  office,  viz.,  allegiance,  abjuration,  etc.  His  Excellency  being  thus 
-duly  appointed  and  sworn  in,  proceeded  to  issue  the  proclamations  of 
the  same  date  (November  19th),  viz.:  One  proclaiming  the  Act 
•establishing  the  colony  ;  a  second  indemnifying  all  the  officers  of  the 
•Government  from  any  irregularities  which  may  have  been  committed 
in  the  interval  before  the  proclamation  of  the  Act;  and  a  third 
proclaiming  English  law  to  be  the  law  of  the  colony.  The  proclama- 
tion referring  to  the  revocation  of  the  exclusive  privileges  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  was  also  read.  The  proceedings  then 
terminated.  The  governor  did  not  leave  the  fort  until  next  day, 
when  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  was  fired  from  the  battlements.  On 
leaving  on  the  Beaver,  his  Excellency  was  loudly  cheered. 

A  SALE  OF  LANGLEY  TOWN  LOTS,  as  previously  advertised,  came  off 
^it  Victoria,  on  the  25th,  26th  and  29th  November.  The  land  was 
laid  out  or  divided  into  183  blocks  of  five  by  ten  chains,  and  the 
blocks  subdivided  into  eighteen  lots  of  64  x  120  feet.  Nineteen 
blocks  were  reserved  for  government  uses  in  different  portions  of  the 
town.  The  width  of  the  streets  was  seventy-eight  feet,  with  an  alley- 
way of  twelve  feet  in  width  through  each  block.  The  streets  were 
not  named.  The  new  town  was  located  upon  the  site  of  the  old  Fort 
Langley,  thirty-three  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Fraser  River.  Upset 
price  of  lots,  $100.  Printed  receipts  for  lots  purchased  were  given, 
signed  by  J.  D.  Pemberton,  acting  Colonial  Surveyor,  and  contained 
the  following  clause  :  "  All  interest  in,  and  title  to,  the  said  lot,  and 
to  this  instalment,  to  cease  and  become  void,  unless  the  balance  is 
paid  within  the  space  of  one  calendar  month  from  this  date."  The 
town  as  laid  out  and  sold  was  named  DERBY. 

THE  BIDDING  on  the  first  day  of  the  sale  was  very  spirited,  at 
prices  ranging  from  $150  to  $750,  according  to  location.  About  two 
hundred  lots  were  sold,  yielding  $41,000.  On  the  second  day,  up  to 
one  o'clock  the  bidding  was  lively,  but  the  best  lots  having  been  sold, 
the  prices  obtained  were  not  so  high  as  the  previous  day,  ranging  from 
$100  to  $400  per  lot.  The  two  days'  sale  showed  about  four  hundred 
lots  disposed  of,  the  proceeds  amounting  to  about  $68,000.  Before 
commencing  the  sale,  the  following  announcement  was  made  in  regard 
to  the  rights  of  foreigners  to  hold  and  transfer  real  estate  : 

"  1st.  According  to  the  law  of  England,  which  is  also  the  law  of 
British  Columbia,  an  alien  may  hold  lands,  but  is  liable  to  have  them 
declared  forfeited  to  the  Crown  at  any  time. 

"  2nd.  No  alien  can  be  disturbed   in  the  possession  of  lands  by  any 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  291 

other  person  than  the  Crown  authorities,  by  reason  only  of  his  being 
an  alien. 

"  3rd.  The  Colonial  Government  proposes  to  secure  to  aliens  the  full 
rights  of  possession  and  enjoyment  of  any  lands  which  they  may 
purchase  at  the  sale  for  the  space  of  three  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  they  must,  if  they  wish  to  continue  to  hold  the  lands,  either 
become  themselves  naturalized  British  subjects,  or  else  convey  their 
rights  to  British  subjects. 

"  4th.  It  is  the  intention  of  the  Colonial  Government  to  obtain  from 
the  home  Government  their  sanction  to  measures  for  carrying  into 
effect  the  above  views,  which  measures  are  now  in  course  of  prepara- 
tion. But  they  must  depend  for  their  full  effect  on  the  ratification  by 
the  home  Government.  By  order  of  the  Governor.  Victoria,  V.  I., 
25th  November,  1858." 


CHAPTEE   X. 


INCREASED  TKADE— NEW  BUILDINGS  AND  ROADS. 

VICTORIA  being  a  free  port  at  this  time,  the  following  comparative 
view  of  imposts  in  California  (1),  Vanco-uver  Island  (2),  and  British 
Columbia  (3),  is  taken  from  the  Victoria  Gazette,  of  November  20th, 
1858  :  COASTING  TRADE. — (1)  Closed  against  foreign  flags.  INLAND 
NAVIGATION. — (1)  Closed  against  foreign  flags  ;  (3)  almost  unrestricted. 
IMPORT  DUTIES. — (1)  From  15  to  30  per  cent,  ad  valorem,  on  most 
.articles  of  foreign  production.  If  exported,  duty  anew  on  every 
re-importation  ;  (2)  none  ;  (3)  ten  per  cent,  ad  valorem,  indiscrimin- 
ately. ENTERING  AND  CLEARING  FOREIGN  VESSELS. — (1)  Entry  and 
surveyor's  fee  at  custom  house,  $6.10  ;  emigrant  agent,  $.'5 ;  clearance 
fee,  $2.50  ;  total,  $11.60 ;  (2)  $10  in  all  on  foreign  vessels;  $3  in  all 
on  British  vessels;  (3)  sufferance  fee  for  foreign  vessels,  $12,  to 
navigate  Eraser  River.  TONNAGE  DUES. — (1)  One  per  cent,  per  ton  ; 
harbor  master's  fee,  4  per  cent,  per  ton ;  total,  5  per  cent,  per  ton  ; 
{2)  none;  (3)  none.  PILOTAGE. — (1)  Compulsory,  $10  per  foot, 
inwards ;  $8  per  foot,  outwards ;  with  5  per  cent,  on  pilotage 
additional  to  pilot  commissioner  ;  (2)  optional,  $2  per  foot,  when 
employed;  (3)  optional,  no  established  pilots.  HEAD  MONEY.  —  (1)  On 
•entering  the  state,  $5 ;  on  departing  from  the  state,  $6 ;  (2)  none ; 
{3)  entry  $2,  departure  nothing — recently  abolished.  MINING 


292  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

LICENSE. — (1)  $4  per  month  on  foreigners,  citizens  exempt ;  (2)  none  ; 
(3)  $5  per  month  indiscriminately  upon  all  nations,  including  British 
subjects.  GENERAL  TAXATION. — (1)  San  Francisco,  about  3  per  cent, 
on  the  value  of  all  property,  real  and  personal;  tax  on  general  business, 
merchants,  bankers,  etc.,  according  to  amount  of  business  done  ;  bills 
of  lading  heavily  taxed  ;  attorneys,  brokers  and  auctioneers  taxed  ; 
poll  tax  on  male  adults,  $3  ;  (2)  none ;  (3)  none  hitherto  imposed. 

THE  CURRENT  YEAR  OF  1858  was  most  eventful  in  Vancouver 
Island,  as  well  as  on  the  mainland.  In  Victoria  it  brought  wonderful 
changes,  by  increased  trade,  additional  buildings,  and  extending  and 
making  new  streets  and  roads.  A  building  had  been  erected  on 
Government  Street,  near  where  the  post-office  now  stands.  It  was 
designed  for  the  governor's  office,  and  was  styled  the  Government 
House,  whence  all  his  Excellency's  documents  were  dated.  Governor 
Douglas,  in  1856-57,  had  a  private  residence  built,  on  the  south  side 
of  James  Bay.  He  occupied  that  residence  during  his  term  of  office 
as  governor  of  both  colonies,  and  afterwards  until  his  death.  A 
bridge  was  proposed  to  be  built  across  the  bay  in  line  with  Government 
Street,  towards  the  expense  of  which  the  Legislature  voted  £800. 

To  the  mainland  thousands  of  miners  and  traders  and  others  had 
found  their  way,  and  many  of  them  were  highly  fortunate  in  obtaining 
GOLD.  Others  were  unfortunate  and  discouraged.  The  difficulty  in 
transporting  supplies  beyond  navigation  on  the  Fraser  compelled 
thousands  to  remain  at  the  lower  bars ;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  Harrison-Lillooet  route  was  opened,  so  that  the  unnavigable 
canyons  could  be  avoided,  that  sufficient  supplies  of  food  could 
be  brought  to  the  Upper  Fraser.  After  that  road  was  con- 
structed men  passed  in  thousands  over  it,  and  supplies  in  com- 
parative abundance  reached  Thompson  River.  There  were  few 
miners  on  the  Thompson,  but  they  had  penetrated  thither  by  way 
of  the  Columbia  River,  and  since  April  had  been  obtaining  large 
returns,  although  working  under  great  disadvantage,  on  the  verge  of 
starvation. 

By  reason  of  the  causes  stated,  a  large  number  of  old  California 
experts  were  congregated  at  the  lower  bars,  especially  at  Hill's  Bar, 
amongst  whom  could  be  found  many  of  the  wild  and  abandoned 
characters  who  had  made  unsavory  reputations  for  themselves  in  the 
"  Golden  State."  Their  treatment  of  the  Indians  on  sundry  occasions 
was  not  of  the  most  gentle  kind,  yet  by  regulations  framed  by  them- 
selves, a  wonderful  state  of  order  was  maintained  at  all  the  thirteen 


THE   COLONIAL   PERIOD.  293 

bars.  There  were  a  few,  however,  who  committed  acts  calculated 
to  inflame  the  worst  passions  of  the  natives.  The  natives  were 
charged  with  having  committed  many  murders.  Bodies  of  white  men 
were  found  on  the  river  banks  and  in  the  water,  mutilated  beyond 
recognition.  At  length  a  large  number  of  the  miners  were  enrolled 
and  an  expedition  formed  to  overawe  the  Indians.  Treaties  were 
made  with  the  natives,  as  formerly  referred  to. 

Of  the  many  thousands  who  reached  Fraser  River  early  in  the  year, 
all  but  about  four  thousand  are  said  to  have  left  before  the  middle  of 
summer.  The  cause  of  the  exodus  was  the  seemingly  inaccessible 
character  of  the  approaches  to  the  upper  portions  of  the  river, 
together  with  the  fact  that,  owing  to  high  water,  the  bars  could  not 
be  worked  until  after  midsummer.  Another  influx  of  miners  took 
place  in  October.  The  majority  of  them,  however,  returned  before 
winter  set  in.  In  the  face  of  all  the  difficulties  which  had  been 
experienced  in  the  space  of  eight  months  the  country  had  been 
populated,  and  a  colony  had  been  established.  It  is  next  to  impossible 
for  parties  not  then  present  to  realize  the  hardships  which  those  early 
prospectors  had  to  endure.  Many  of  them  had  added  largely  to  their 
wealth,  others  returned  poorer  than  when  they  came  in.  A  remnant 
remained  in  the  new  towns  and  mining  centres  to  try  their  fortunes 
next  year. 

The  newly  surveyed  town  of  Langley  was  expected  to  become  the 
capital  of  British  Columbia.  Work  had  already  been  begun  on 
barracks  to  receive  the  expected  Royal  Engineers  on  their  arrival,  as 
it  was  known  they  were  en  voyage,  via  Cape  Horn,  for  Victoria. 
Tenders  'were  advertised  for  by  December  1st,  Acting  Colonial 
Surveyor  Pemberton  calling  for  tenders  to  erect  at  Langley  a  parsonage, 
church,  court-house  and  jail,  according  to  plans  and  specifications  to 
be  seen  at  the  land  office.  A  proclamation  was  issued  December 
3rd,  authorizing  the  levying  of  custom  duties  upon  goods,  as  specified, 
imported  into  the  colony  of  British  Columbia.  Prior  to  that  date  a 
specific  duty  of  ten  per  cent,  ad  valorem  was  collected  at  Victoria  on 
all  goods  sent  into  the  mining  districts.  The  Sisters  of  Charity 
published  a  notice  of  the  opening  of  St.  Ann's  school,  on  the  same 
date,  at  Victoria. 

COLONEL  MOODY  arrived  at  Victoria  on  November  25th,  1858.  He 
travelled  via  Panama,  in  company  with  Captain  Grant  and  his 
detachment  of  twenty-five  Royal  Engineers.  On  the  10th  of  Jan- 
uary3  1859,  a  rumor  reached  Victoria  that  an  outbreak  had  occurred 


294  HISTORY   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA. 

at  Yale,  and  that  Colonel  Moody  who  had  already  gone  to  Langley, 
had,  on  receiving  intelligence  of  the  difficulty  referred  to,  proceeded' 
to  the  scene  of  action,  taking  along  with  him  the  twenty-five  Royal 
Engineers,  who  had  arrived  with  him  in  the 
colony.  Governor  Douglas  deemed  it  pru- 
dent to  strengthen  Colonel  Moody's  hands. 
He  was  aware  that  a  large  number  of  desper- 
ate characters  were  wintering  at  Hill's  Bar, 
and  amongst  them  a  certain  character,  Ed- 
ward McGowan,  who,  although  noted  for 
many  attractive  social  qualities,  had  others 
which  led  him  to  become  obnoxious  to  the 
laws  of  whatever  country  he  favored  with 


COLONEL  MOODY. 

At   the    request,    therefore,    of    Governor 

Douglas,  Captain  Prevost  supplied  a  party  of  marines  and  blue  jackets 
from  the  Satellite,  under  Lieutenant  Gooch.  They  embarked  on  board 
the  Plumper,  which  was  the  only  available  vessel  at  the  time  at 
Esquimalt.  Captain  Richards  at  once  proceeded  to  Langley.  On 
arriving  there,  they  found  that  Colonel  Moody  had  taken  the  Enter- 
prise, the  only  steamer  then  on  the  river  capable  of  going  farther  up 
it  than  Langley,  and  pushed  on  to  Yale,  with  twenty-five  of  the 
engineers  under  Captain  Grant,  R.E.  It  was  considered  advisable 
that  the  men  should  remain  on  board  the  Plumper,  and  that  a  mes- 
senger should  at  once  follow  and  overtake  Colonel  Moody. 

"This  service,"  says  Commander  Mayne  in  his  excellent  work, 
"  Four  Years  in  British  Columbia  and  Vancouver  Island,"  "  devolved 
upon  me  (then  Lieutenant  Mayne  of  the  Plumper),  and  I  received 
orders  to  proceed  up  the  river  with  despatches  from  Captain  Richards, 
informing  the  colonel  of  the  force  at  Langley. 

"Mr.  Yale,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  officer  at  Fort  Langley, 
un